While cigarette prices will go up, it will not be so drastic as to make smokers turn to illicit cigarettes to satisfy their addiction, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

"In our assessment, we are not only looking at increasing duties but also the effect of taxation on illicit cigarettes.

"The lower income group will turn to illicit cigarattes if prices go up to a level where it becomes unaffordable to them," he said when replying a supplementary question raised by Wong Chen (PH-Subang) in Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 31).