BMJ 2013;348:f7702 doi: 10.1136/bmj.f7702 (Published 2 January 2014)
Page 1 of 2
News
NEWS Raise tobacco taxes regularly to reduce deaths from smoking, urge researchers Zosia Kmietowicz BMJ
Researchers are urging governments around the world to raise taxes on tobacco above inflation and also to impose one-off steep tax increases at every opportunity.
They estimate that tripling tobacco excise tax globally would cut the prevalence of smoking by a third and prevent millions of premature deaths. Big tax increases would narrow the price gap between the most and least expensive cigarettes, which would encourage people to quit smoking rather than switch to a cheaper brand and would help stop young people from starting, they say in a review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.1
Tax rises would be especially effective in low to middle income countries, they say, where the cheapest cigarettes are affordable across the population. But the measure would also be effective in richer countries. Cigarette consumption halved in France between 1990 and 2005 when tobacco taxes rose well above inflation. Richard Peto, a Cancer Research UK epidemiologist and an author of the paper, said, “Globally, about half of all young men and one in 10 of all young women become smokers, and, particularly in developing countries, relatively few quit. If they keep smoking, about half will be killed by it, but if they stop before 40 they’ll reduce their risk of dying from tobacco by 90%.
“The international tobacco industry makes about £30bn [€36bn; $50bn] in profits each year—that’s a profit of approximately £6000 per death from smoking.”
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Tripling tobacco excise taxes in particular would increase overall government revenues from tobacco (which also include sales taxes and local taxes) from £180bn a year now to £240bn a year, say the researchers, income that could be spent on better healthcare. In the European Union tobacco consumption causes 300 000 deaths a year among people aged under 70 (250 000 men and 50 000 women). An EU-wide doubling of cigarette prices would prevent 100 000 deaths a year in this age group. Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said, “This immensely important study demonstrates that tobacco taxes are a hugely powerful lever and potentially a triple win: reducing the numbers of people who smoke and who die from their addiction, reducing the healthcare burden and costs associated with smoking, and yet, at the same time, increasing government income.
“We urge all governments, not least the UK government, to take action by regularly raising tobacco taxes above inflation and using occasional steep tax hikes, starting with the next budget.” 1
Jha P, Peto R. Global effects of smoking, of quitting, and of taxing tobacco. New Engl J Med 1 Jan 2014, doi:10.1056/NEJMra1308383.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:f7702 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2013
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
BMJ 2013;348:f7702 doi: 10.1136/bmj.f7702 (Published 2 January 2014)
Page 2 of 2
NEWS
Figure
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 2
News
NEWS Raise tobacco taxes regularly to reduce deaths from smoking, urge researchers Zosia Kmietowicz BMJ
Researchers are urging governments around the world to raise taxes on tobacco above inflation and also to impose one-off steep tax increases at every opportunity.
They estimate that tripling tobacco excise tax globally would cut the prevalence of smoking by a third and prevent millions of premature deaths. Big tax increases would narrow the price gap between the most and least expensive cigarettes, which would encourage people to quit smoking rather than switch to a cheaper brand and would help stop young people from starting, they say in a review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.1
Tax rises would be especially effective in low to middle income countries, they say, where the cheapest cigarettes are affordable across the population. But the measure would also be effective in richer countries. Cigarette consumption halved in France between 1990 and 2005 when tobacco taxes rose well above inflation. Richard Peto, a Cancer Research UK epidemiologist and an author of the paper, said, “Globally, about half of all young men and one in 10 of all young women become smokers, and, particularly in developing countries, relatively few quit. If they keep smoking, about half will be killed by it, but if they stop before 40 they’ll reduce their risk of dying from tobacco by 90%.
“The international tobacco industry makes about £30bn [€36bn; $50bn] in profits each year—that’s a profit of approximately £6000 per death from smoking.”
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Tripling tobacco excise taxes in particular would increase overall government revenues from tobacco (which also include sales taxes and local taxes) from £180bn a year now to £240bn a year, say the researchers, income that could be spent on better healthcare. In the European Union tobacco consumption causes 300 000 deaths a year among people aged under 70 (250 000 men and 50 000 women). An EU-wide doubling of cigarette prices would prevent 100 000 deaths a year in this age group. Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said, “This immensely important study demonstrates that tobacco taxes are a hugely powerful lever and potentially a triple win: reducing the numbers of people who smoke and who die from their addiction, reducing the healthcare burden and costs associated with smoking, and yet, at the same time, increasing government income.
“We urge all governments, not least the UK government, to take action by regularly raising tobacco taxes above inflation and using occasional steep tax hikes, starting with the next budget.” 1
Jha P, Peto R. Global effects of smoking, of quitting, and of taxing tobacco. New Engl J Med 1 Jan 2014, doi:10.1056/NEJMra1308383.
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:f7702 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2013
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
BMJ 2013;348:f7702 doi: 10.1136/bmj.f7702 (Published 2 January 2014)
Page 2 of 2
NEWS
Figure
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
