煙草在線據《金融時報》報道編譯　　據英國巴斯大學的研究人員說，因卷煙價格上漲而感到憤怒的吸煙者們應該把漲價的原因歸咎于大煙草公司和最近的消費稅上提。

　　根據巴斯大學的研究，在2006年至2009年期間，所有的卷煙價格上漲中，大約有一半是因為煙草公司漲價，而不是因為煙稅上提。

　　就在煙草業不遺余力地辯稱，卷煙成本的上漲導致了假冒卷煙或走私卷煙增加時，巴斯大學的研究人員發布了該研究報告。

　　吸煙與健康行動組織的調研經理阿曼達·桑福德說：“這一分析表明，煙草公司一直在盡可能快地提高卷煙價格。顯然，它們對價格上漲對非法貿易影響的擔憂程度，與它們希望公眾認為它們對之擔憂的程度并不一致。”

　　而制造金邊臣的日本煙草國際公司和在美國以外地區出售萬寶路的菲莫國際公司等煙草公司的研究，則試圖將卷煙漲價與走私增加聯系起來。

　　來自英國稅務海關總署（HMRC）的數字顯示，盡管在英國消費的非法煙草的比例增加了，但根據煙草業提供資金的研究，未納稅煙草的總量卻在下降。

　　即使在削減其他產品的稅率時，如啤酒稅率，英國政府也一直在提高煙草產品的關稅。

　　據煙草制造商協會說，在2011年至2012年間，征收的煙草產品消費稅達95億英鎊。盡管英國消費的卷煙數量下降了，但消費稅收入仍然比2007年的81億英鎊增長了。

　　日本煙草國際公司的企業事務負責人保羅·威廉姆斯說：“吸煙與健康行動組織再次證明，罔顧事實，編造故事是無濟于事的；每盒合法卷煙的價格中，有85%是稅，這會鼓勵犯罪分子在英國從事貿易活動。”

　　在愛爾蘭開展的一項類似調查顯示，因煙草公司的漲價占卷煙價格上漲的36%之后，日本煙草國際公司和菲莫國際公司等煙草公司也開展了研究。

Cigarette Price Rises in UK due to Companies as Much as Tax

　　Smokers fuming about the rising cost of cigarettes should blame big tobacco companies as well as recent excise duty increases, according to researchers at the University of Bath.

　　Between 2006 and 2009, about half of the total price increases on cigarettes were due to tobacco companies raising their prices, not increases in duty, according to its research.

　　The report comes as the tobacco industry goes to great lengths to argue that the increased cost of cigarettes has led to higher levels of imitation or smuggled cigarettes.

　　Amanda Sandford, research manager at Action on Smoking and Health, said: "This analysis makes it clear that the companies have been hiking their own prices as fast as they can. Clearly, they are not as worried about the effect of price rises on illicit trade as they want the public to think."

　　Research from tobacco companies such as JTI, which make Benson & Hedges, and Philip Morris International, which sell Marlboro outside the US, have attempted to link higher prices with increased smuggling.

　　While the proportion of illicit tobacco smoked in the UK has increased, according to tobacco industry funded research, the total amount of non-duty paid tobacco is falling, figures from HMRC show.

　　The government has raised duty on tobacco products consistently even as it cuts duty on other products, such as beer.

　　The excise duty on tobacco products raised ￡9.5bn between 2011 and 2012, according to the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association. This is up from ￡8.1bn in 2007, despite the number of cigarettes smoked in the UK falling.

　　Paul Williams, head of corporate affairs at JTI, said: "ASH is proving yet again that there is little point in letting facts get in the way of a story; 85 per cent of every legal cigarette pack is tax and that encourages criminals to trade in the UK."

　　The study comes after a similar survey in Ireland revealed that price rises from tobacco companies accounted for 36 per cent of increased cigarette costs. Enditem