Price of 20 cigarettes set to break £16 barrier as Chancellor hikes tax on ... trends now
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The average price of a packet of 20 cigarettes is set to soar past £16 for the first time after Jeremy Hunt upped tax in yesterday's Budget.
The Chancellor announced he is raided smokers and vapers as he sought to recoup £500million of the money he is paying out in a cut to national insurance.
Before the tax increase the mean cost of a packet of 20 stood at £15.26 in January, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Vapes are being targeted in a bid to reduce the rate of underage vaping. In January shocking stats show a quarter of children have tried puffing on the nicotine-laden gadgets and one-in-10 is a regular user.
It sparked fears of a future health crisis given the mystery surrounding the long-term safety of
