The lowdown on rollies
By James - Make Smoking History team
Rollies (or roll-your-own tobacco) are touted by some as less harmful, with fewer additives, compared to factory-made cigarettes (often known as tailored or ready-made cigarettes). This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Just as deadly
Words like ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ are often used by marketers to imply that a product is a healthier alternative. However when these words are associated with any kind of tobacco, including rollies, the tactic is nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
All tobacco kills, whether it’s a factory-made product, has a fancy name, a different flavour or comes in a nice pouch to roll-your-own. Evidence shows that people who smoke rollies are exposed to the same toxins and carcinogens as those who smoke factory-made cigarettes. Therefore it’s no surprise that rollies have been proven to cause the same cancers and diseases and have the same high risk to health as factory-made cigarettes.
VIA smokefree.gov
And just as expensive
The Federal Government has recently announced rollies will be taxed in line with factory-made products, making them just as expensive.
From 1 September 2017*:
- The average 50g pouch of loose tobacco will increase to approximately $70, with each rollie costing up to $1 a stick
- The average 25g pouch of loose tobacco will increase to more than $30, with each rollie costing around 90c a stick
And by 2020*:
- The average 50g pouch of loose tobacco will increase to more than $115, with each rollie costing up to $1.60 a stick
- The average 25g pouch of loose tobacco will increase to more than $50, with each rollie costing over $1.50 a stick
This price increase is a timely reminder that tobacco smoking will kill two out of three long-term users, regardless of the type of tobacco product. There has never been a better time to quit.
Use our savings calculator to find out how much cash you can gain from quitting, and check out all the health benefits here.
* Estimates only, provided by Quit Victoria, 2017