The Potential Benefits of Effective Cigarette Tax Policies: Evidence from Asia
Over the last several years, Tobacconomics has partnered with think tanks in low- and middle-income countries to produce local evidence on the economics of tobacco taxation. Our research efforts are guided by six research core competencies (shown below), which represent timely and relevant topics of discussion related to tobacco taxes. Despite the body of global evidence on the benefits of effective tobacco taxation, most countries are missing out due to ineffective tax policies (check out the Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard to learn about current policies). Read More
Tobacco Taxes Work! Consumer Responses to Cigarette Price Increases- Evidence from Think Tanks in Southeastern Europe
In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) around the world, governments are failing to reap the benefits of effective tobacco taxation. Under the Think Tanks Project, Tobacconomics has been partnering with think tanks since 2017 to produce the economic evidence needed to inform effective policies to reap public health and fiscal benefits of well-designed tobacco taxes. The six research core competencies (shown below) provide a broad framework for the research. Read More
Tobacco Taxes Work! Consumer Responses to Cigarette Price Increases- Evidence from Think Tanks in Latin America
Over the last five years, Tobacconomics has been partnering with think tanks in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to develop the necessary economic evidence base for effective tobacco control. The six questions that inform the core competencies (shown below) are based on current tobacco tax policy discussions and guide our research efforts, ensuring that the findings can be utilized to inform policy. Read More
Tobacco Taxes Work! Consumer Responses to Cigarette Price Increases- Evidence from Think Tanks in Asia
Five years ago, we began partnering with think tanks in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as a part of the Think Tanks Project to produce evidence on the economics of tobacco taxation. The research produced under these partnerships is guided by six research competencies (shown below). Each competency asks a question which is relevant for current policy discussions around the globe. Read More
Tax Increases Around the World– July 2022 Update
As we shared in January, several countries around the world are taking necessary steps to reduce cigarette consumption by raising taxes on tobacco products. The body of research continues to grow more robust showing tax increases are the most effective and cost-effective policy tool to encourage smokers to quit, discourage young people from starting to use cigarettes, and generate revenue to offset the public health costs of tobacco use. While we described the policy changes announced at the beginning of 2022 as “modestly beneficial”, additional tax increases announced in recent months build upon the momentum of this progress. Read More
Tobacco Control Celebrates Thirty Years
Tobacco Control released its 30th anniversary issue this month, marking three decades of important research conducted across the globe to expose the dangers of the tobacco industry and provide evidence-based policy interventions. As editor-in-chief Dr. Ruth Malone notes in her editorial, this milestone calls for celebration of the policies and practices that have changed as a result of the impressive body of research published and the lives saved as a result. It is also, however, grounds for mourning as three decades later the tobacco epidemic persists and millions of lives continue to be lost to tobacco addiction and its secondhand effects. Read More
The Importance of Tobacco Control for Women in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Happy International Women’s Day from Tobacconomics! Tobacco control is a critical issue for women’s well-being, making it an especially important topic of discussion for today. In 2020, 7.8%, or 231 million, women used tobacco globally. This translated to 1.51 million deaths attributable to smoking in 2019, most of which occurred in low- and middle-income countries. In fact, nine of the ten leading causes of death among women that year, are associated with tobacco use (graph below). Even these staggering statistics do not tell the whole story because women experience both direct and indirect harm from tobacco use. Below, we highlight the country-specific evidence produced by our think tank partners in low- and middle-income countries on the impact of tobacco on women. Read More
2022 Brings Some Modest Beneficial Cigarette Tax Increases
Since ringing in 2022, several new cigarette tax increases have taken effect around the world, marking progress in the use of fiscal policy to reduce tobacco use. As research continues to show, tax increases are the most reliable policy tool to encourage smokers to quit, discourage young people from trying cigarettes, and generate revenue to offset the public health costs of tobacco use. Further tax increases are needed in many countries to better prevent smoking, the world’s leading cause of death. Read More