A tobacco treatment specialist says the increasing taxes on cigarettes is now causing Australians who can’t quit “a lot of pain”.

From tomorrow, the tax on cigarettes will be hiked by 12.5 per cent.

The government is aiming to raise the price of a packet of cigarettes to $40 by 2010.

Chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association Dr Colin Mendelsohn says raising taxes on cigarettes is effective in bringing down smoking rates but the swelling price is now causing some Aussies “a lot of pain”.

“It’s actually one of the most effective ways to bring down smoking rates.

“But the problem we’ve got in Australia, our cigarette prices so high now – they’re the highest in the world.

“The tobacco tax has gone up from 2013 every year (at) 12.5 per cent and now it’s actually causing a lot of pain for people who can’t quit.

“I think we’ve got to the point we’re just getting a diminishing return from these high price rises.”

Click PLAY below for the full interview