In USA, only tobacco and alcohol taxes were increased and were implemented in some countries. But fuel will be taxed starting with September.

Smokers had just few hours from the end of the chancellor's Budget speech to purchase cigarettes before the new higher prices came into effect.

Drinkers were given a little longer before the increase in duty. A 2 percent increase in the cost of alcohol was imposed at midnight. Alistair Darling said the measures would raise more than £6bn by 2012.

This will raise the price of a pint of beer by 1p on average and add 4p to the cost of a bottle of wine and 13p to the price of a bottle of spirits.

Prices for beer, cider and wine have already seen large increases, rising by 8 percent and spirits duty rates by 4 percent in December.

The government decided to increase the alcohol taxes too, for to check excessive and binge drinking by increasing the price of alcohol. Alcohol Business relation welcomed the rise in alcohol duty and said that higher prices lead to lower consumption.

The cost of tobacco has gone up by 2 percent, raising the cost of a packet of 20 cigarettes by 7p and putting further pressure on smokers who have already been banned from smoking in many buildings and public spaces.

As of September 1, fuel duty will also rise by 2p per liter, followed by a 1p per liter rise above indexation every following April up to 2013.

Patrick King, tax principal at Macintyre Hudson, the accountancy firm, said that the tax increases in duties for fuel, alcohol and tobacco would evidently hit those on lower incomes.

France, Norway and some states in the USA, not only the tax for cigarettes and alcohol increased but already charged higher rates of tax on certain junk food in an effort to curb obesity.