Author:
Khansa Muthiah
Affiliation:
Faculty of Public Health and Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
Keyword(s):
Tobacco Economics, Taxes, Poor Smoker.
Abstract:
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death which kills more than 5 million people every year. It is predicted to kill more than 8 million by 2030, and approximately 80% of the deaths will occur in low- and middle-income countries. Not only in health sector, economies will also suffer from increased health-care costs and decreased productivity. For example, while tobacco taxes are known to be the most cost-effective tobacco control measure, some countries encounter several challenges when a tax increase is at stake. As the tax increases, the share of tobacco expenses on the household income also increases, thus increasing the burden on the family budget, especially on poorer smokers. Evidence suggests that the poor are more sensitive to price increases, and consequently, it is expected that as tax increases, the majority will tend to reduce or quit smoking. In order to address the economic arguments used against tobacco control, it is necessary to strengthen the evidence, t
echnical and analytical skills of government officials, academia and civil society. This will help to move forward the tobacco control agenda and to improve both the economy and public health.
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