Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne said on Indepth that government  needs to educate people more on the harmful effects of alcohol and cigarettes, rather than increase taxes on these items.

Interviewed by The Malta Independent news editor Rachel Attard, he said that there are two routes that can be taken on the issue of tobacco and alcohol use; "we either punish people by introducing more taxes or keep educating."

Asked if he is convinced that this was a good decision, Minister Fearne said: "even though we know that more taxes discourages people from smoking and drinking, we believe that investing more in educational campaigns yields a better result."