General practitioners support the federal government’s planned increase in the tobacco tax for this year, but they insist that the revenue must be specifically allocated to the healthcare system. Nicola Buhlinger-Göpfarth, the chairwoman of the Association of Family Doctors, stated to the “Rheinische Post” (Tuesday) that raising the tobacco tax is “right and sensible” but she added that it would be “completely wrong” if the collected funds were not reinvested directly into the affected individuals’ healthcare provision, or if they were planned for entirely different areas before implementation. The association head is “clearly against such a misappropriation of revenue without direct strengthening of the medical care” she remarked. Buhlinger-Göpfarth explained that the health damage caused by smoking is an enormous burden not only on the individual but also on the entire healthcare system. Therefore, she argued, it is logical that the funds from the increased tobacco tax should flow to where smoking cessation and the care for the sick take place-into our healthcare system, and specifically into prevention and treatment programs for high-risk groups. The ruling coalition of the CDU/CSU and the SPD had agreed to raise the tobacco tax this year. According to a policy paper, the additional revenue is intended to compensate for expected losses incurred by the state due to a planned tax and fee-free relief bonus of 1,000 euros for employees.
Politics
