THE federal government's decision to increase tobacco taxes by 25 per cent has been labelled "a joke''.Owner of Freechoice Tobacconist in Sebastopol Harley Morton said the regime was nothing more than a tax-grabbing scheme."It's just one excuse after another. More and more tax,'' Mr Morton said."I mean it's a lot of a load. Two dollars extra is not too bad for people with big salaries but for people making up to $400 a week it's a fair bit of money."If he's (Prime Minister Kevin Rudd) serious, he should put a billion dollars aside and put the money into education.''Mr Morton said his customers felt disheartened by the government's move."For those who haven't got any luxuries in life, that's (smoking) one they choose and now they have to be deprived of it.''The tax increase was introduced at midnight yesterday. It is part of the Rudd government's $5 billion tobacco crackdown which aimed to increase the number of quitters every year.Woolworths spokesman Luke Schepen said the increase in cigarette prices saw more customers buying cigarettes the day before the rise."Certainly sales increased in light of the government's announcement,'' Mr Schepen said."In many cases where we saw one packet sold normally, instead customers were picking up three or four.''Mr Schepen said it was too early to tell whether the tax increase would significantly impact on tobacco sales.Owner of The Tobacco Station Trevor Backhouse said the tax rise would have little effect."What it will do is increase the demand of illicit type products that are available on the market,'' Mr Backhouse said.The Rudd government has also pledged to ban brand logos from cigarette packaging and to inject $27 billion of future tobacco excise revenue into health and hospitals."Mr Rudd stands up there and says this is good for health and it will stop people smoking,'' Mr Morton said."I'm all for the belief that it is better for everyone's health."But he should be serious. If he wants to stop smoking, make the packet of smokes $50. No one would smoke them then.''