In an interview with the newspaper Aamulehti, Puska said the tobacco tax should go up ten percent annually over the next few years.
The tax is set to increase by around ten percent at the start of next year. That will add an estimated 30 cents to the current cost of a pack of cigarettes. However Puska said tobacco products in Finland are too inexpensive.
Furthermore he said health centres should hand out nicotine replacement products for free to smokers trying to quit the habit.
Puska added that currently the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) does not offer compensation for the treatment. He said that quitting smoking is not easy and society should offer its support.
The THL begins operations at the start of next year. The institute is a merger of the National Public Health Institute (KTL) and the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (Stakes). Puska worked previously as the director of KTL.