General practitioners support the federal government’s planned increase in the tobacco tax for this year, but they insist that the revenue must be clearly earmarked for the healthcare system. Nicola Buhlinger-Göpfarth, chairwoman of the Association of Family Practitioners, stated to the “Rheinische Post” on Tuesday that significantly raising the tobacco tax is “right and sensible”. However, she added that it would be “completely wrong” if the resulting funds were not reinvested directly into the affected individuals’ healthcare, but were instead planned for entirely different areas before the implementation. According to the association chief, she is “clearly against such a misuse of the revenue without directly strengthening medical care”. Buhlinger-Göpfarth explained that the health damage caused by smoking is a huge burden not only on the individual but also on the healthcare system as a whole. Consequently, she argued it is only logical that the revenue from the increased tobacco tax flows where smoking cessation and patient care takes place-into the healthcare system, specifically into prevention and treatment offerings for high-risk groups. The coalition formed by the CDU and SPD had agreed to raise the tobacco tax this year. According to a policy paper, the expected increased revenue is intended to compensate for anticipated losses of state income caused by a planned tax and levy-free relief premium of 1,000 euros for employees.
Doctors Support Tobacco Tax Hike Demand Health System Funding Guarantee
