Doctors urge rise in tobacco price

Doctors yesterday called on the Government to increase the price of 20 cigarettes by 16p in next month's Budget. Sir Walter Bodmer, director of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, and Dr Sandy Macara, chairman of the British Medical Association, said there was an 'overriding case' for tobacco tax to be a key part of a national strategy to reduce smoking.

Sir Walter said: 'We know from research released in the last few weeks that there are now 30 different causes of death directly linked to smoking which will kill one in two smokers if we do not act now.'