Having already been dealt major blows with bans at nightclubs and venues, cigarette smokers are in for more conflict as the federal government prepare some particularly ‘radical’ measures to further curb smoking trends. News.com.au speculates that as well as making the packs themselves “generic” with “graphic health warnings taking up 90 per cent of the front and 100 per cent of the back”, the major weapon against smoking could be to raise the cost of cigarettes to as much as $20 for a basic pack.

Designed to deter both current and new users from smoking, the price-hike move comes on the back of other recent blows for smokers including the abolition of those old smoking tents you’d see at festivals that would sell cigarettes to music fans and conduct some sly market research at the same time, and also the banning of smoking in clubs. With the weather as fierce as it is right now, we can imagine that those smoke-breaks have become more trouble than they’re worth.

The price increase could spell a huge decline in smokers, as Quit representative Kylie Lindorff indicated that the rising cost of cigarettes is behind many smoker’s decision to quit. “Research consistently shows increases in the real price of cigarettes are crucial to reducing smoking rates. Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death in Australia, claiming 15,000 lives each year, so we cannot afford to take the foot off the accelerator,” Lindorff explained.

Whilst we’re never ones to ignore the health-risks associated with cigarettes, it’s undeniable that smoking is connected to club and music culture at large. Knowing that, we want to hear from you. If you smoke, what does a price rise in cigarettes mean to you? Can you see yourself actually paying $20 dollars for pack of 20 smokes? And what are the thoughts of non-smokers too? Let us know with a comment in the box below.