Tobacco's Harmful Effect on Youth: New Findings from Tobacconomics & Think Tank Partners in LMICs
Tobacco's Harmful Effect on Youth:
New Findings from Tobacconomics & Think Tank Partners in LMICs
Preventing youth from starting to smoke or even delaying their initiation generates enormous positive public health rewards.
We look back at the recent research on the way tobacco consumption, spending, and production threaten the wellbeing of youth in low- and middle-income countries, as well as the potential for tobacco taxation to counteract these effects.
Research Produced & Policy Implications
Working with local research groups in Asia, Latin America, and Southeastern Europe, we released reports, working papers, policy briefs, and other products to inform more effective tobacco tax policies to protect youth.
Crowding out in Montenegro
Smoking households dedicate less of their budget to food items, clothing, housing, and education than non-smoking ones.
They also spend more on bars and restaurants, alcohol, coffee, and sugary drinks.
The differences in spending patterns threaten the future development and earning potential of children in smoking households.
Spending on tobacco as well as the related medical expenses pushed nearly 13,000 households below the poverty line, including more than 10,000 children.
Tobacco use leads to and exacerbates household poverty thus harming the youngest members of smoking households.
Research on youth smoking initiation and sensitivity to cigarette prices will be coming soon from our partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Vietnam.
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