SMOKING has now become more hazardous to your wallet, as local smokers once again have to cough up more money for their favourite cigarette brands.

The West Indian Tobacco Company (Witco) announced yesterday in a press advertisement that the prices of its products have been increased by between 75 cents and two dollars.

The brands affected are du Maurier, Broadway, Pall Mall and Dunhill brands; Dunhill has replaced Benson and Hedges.

The price hike follows an increase last October when full packs were raised by a dollar and half-packs by 50 cents, except for the Pall Mall full flavour half-pack, which was unaffected.

"If a pack reach how much, $20, I still buying a pack. It ain't changing nothing," said 27 year-old Alan Maraj from Diego Martin.

Jean-Pierre Du Coudray, Witco's managing director, told the Express yesterday that the company has been delaying passing on costs to consumers as long as possible.

He explained that the increase was due to three factors: increase in price of raw materials, especially imported tobacco leaf and the rising cost of oil on wrapping material, which are oil-based in nature; rising global cost of transport, freight and insurance; and impact of recent inflation which has caused the company to increase its employees' salaries accordingly.

"At this point it has become totally necessary."

He pointed out that the company is impacted by what happens globally and can only control one segment of the costs.

Thirty-year-old smoker Marlon Whiskey of Maracas Bay, whose preferred brand is du Maurier, says he will continue smoking a pack of cigarettes a day despite the price hike.

"Everything raising, you know. Everything going up in the country, not only cigarette," he reasoned.

Fifty-nine year-old Wayne Sturge of Diego Martin said that the price will affect his smoking, and he may cut down from two packs a day to less than a pack.