With Minister of Health Zane De Silva recently declaring his desire to significantly increase taxes on junk food and cigarettes, The Royal Gazette hit the streets of Hamilton to see what residents thought of the idea.Based on the majority of those polled, it seems that quite a few people believe that cigarette smoking is worse than consuming unhealthy foods.Many people suggested a tax should be implemented on cigarettes, but not on junk.Devonshire resident Traci Woolridge was unsure of her stance, but did suggest a tax only on cigarettes.Said the 28-year-old: “Cigarettes, maybe, because they’re bad so the more expensive they are it might deter [people] from smoking.”Hamilton Parish resident Malissa Johnson, 26, also had a similar, concise response.“Don’t tax junk food, tax cigarettes,” she said.Another female, Wendy Dill of St David’s, also shared that sentiment, citing a decline in unhealthy food consumption as her reasoning.“Cigarettes should be taxed. [People] are not eating junk food like they use to, so I think they should tax cigarettes,” said Ms Dill.Pembroke resident Judith Parsons claimed that there should be a sin tax for cigarettes as well as alcohol, but there should be no taxation on junk food.“I just believe that junk food shouldn’t be taxed but that people need to be encouraged to eat it in moderation,” she said.Ms Parsons also added: “Alcohol should be taxed heavier, because that’s more deadly than anything else.“Cigarettes and alcohol should be considered sin tax and they can be taxed because no matter how much they’re going to [cost], people are still going to buy them.“But I don’t believe junk food should be taxed,” she continued.“People just should be encouraged to live healthier lifestyles and do it in moderation.”Another Pembroke resident, Sharo Hollis, was unsure whether imposing a tax on junk food and cigarettes would be useful or effective. “I don’t know about taxation. I guess if you want to tax it by way of education to use the extra money to tell people how bad it is — because of the problem we have with diabetes and such so they could be aware — [then] maybe.”Ms Hollis also enquired about what constituted as junk food, and believed that cheaper healthier options would be more effective.“What type of junk food are we talking about?” she asked.“I would just be happy if healthy food was less expensive, because we would have an alternative — that’s the problem. Carrot sticks are $3 and chips are 50 cents.”Ms Hollis also explained that adding a tax probably would fail to act as a deterrent, saying: “People would still buy it.”However, like many others surveyed, she thought that taxes should be added to cigarettes.“Cigarettes they should definitely [tax] because they kill. If you’re going to kill yourself then at least know the cause of killing yourself.”Others also commented on taxation as an inefficient deterrent.Dionne Dickinson, 45, said: “Cigarettes? I don’t know. If we put taxes on cigarettes it’s not going to stop anyone from smoking. People are going to do what they want anyway.”The Paget resident did, however, oppose taxation on junk food.“Junk food? No. I’ve got too much of a sweet tooth,” said Ms Dickinson.There were also those locals who believed that both junk food and cigarettes should be taxed.Sandys resident Janet Palmer — a smoker herself — was one.“I think they both should be taxed. Candies are no good for anybody and cigarettes are no good for anyone,” said the 54-year-old.She explained that she primarily smokes the e-cigarettes, but said that she was trying not to smoke normal cigarettes excessively.Thirty-year-old Kondwani Williams agreed that they should both be taxed as well, but only by a small percentage.“Anything more [than a small amount] is just excessive,” said the Hamilton Parish resident.He also proposed the idea of reducing the costs of healthy foods.“Instead of taxing junk food they should lower duty for healthy food or organic food,” he added.Despite the seeming consensus on taxing cigarettes, there was one person surveyed that had a reversed opinion.Victoria Mello, 29, said: “I think junk food should be.”When asked why cigarettes shouldn’t also be taxed, the Pembroke resident replied:“Because I’m a smoker — I’m a little biased there. But it would deter [people] I guess. [Cigarettes] are already expensive as it is.”There was also one other person with a different opinion.Southampton resident Deborah Tannock said that neither junk food nor cigarettes should be taxed.“It’s a personal choice and people know the consequences of smoking and people know the consequences of eating junk.“You can’t dictate to people what they should and should not do. They should have the intelligence to make good choices.”