Budget 2011: Tobacco industry furious at tax rises

The tobacco industry has reacted with fury at tax increases that have heralded the arrival of the £7 packet of cigarettes in the UK.

From 6pm Wednesday night, duty on tobacco rose by 2pc above inflation. On top of this, a wider restructuring of duty added 50p to the price of a packet of "economy" cigarettes and 33p to "premium" cigarettes, meaning that poorer smokers will be disproportionately affected.