Just over half the Dutch think the next government should put up taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products, according to research carried out for anti-cancer charity KWF Kankerbestrijding.

And two in three think the next government should take further steps to stop children taking up the habit, the charity’s research, which involved 1,000 people, said.

Charity spokeswoman Marsja Meijer told news agency ANP: ‘In practice, we know that an increase in taxes is the most effective way of discouraging the use of tobacco. When the price of a packet increases 10%, consumption falls 4%.’