Guam Senator defends massive tobacco tax hike
Updated
Within the next two months, Guam's cigarette tax will go up 200 percent - meaning a packet of cigarettes will cost as much as five dollars. Governor Felix Camacho signed the tobacco tax into law last week and since then, there's been a run on Guam shops by smokers desperate to buy up big before the price rise goes through. The legislation aims to encourage smokers to quit, and similar laws in Australia and the UK have led to a fall in overall smoking rates, although lower-income smokers are less likely to give up.
The move comes as Guam legislators raise concerns about the effect of the military build-up on the island territory's health system.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Senator Benjamin Cruz, Guam legislator
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