Jersey alcohol, tobacco and fuel prices to increase

The price of alcohol, tobacco and fuel in Jersey will rise at midnight.

Increase on duty was approved by the States in November to try to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and smoking.

Senator Philip Ozouf said the increases were "not the sole solution but they are part of the solution."

Spirits will increase by £1.27 on a litre bottle, cigarettes will be 47p more expensive and fuel will have an added 1p per litre.

In 2010 there were 2,373 hospital admissions related to alcohol and about 200 smoking-related deaths.

A recent report issued by Home Affairs, called Building a Safer Society, showed that more than half the crimes in the island involved alcohol and there had been an increase in night-time assaults in St Helier.

Fuel has only risen once in the past five years and the States believes the "increase proposed this year is very low".