According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which published a new technical handbook on tobacco tax policy and administration on April 12, 2021, tobacco consumption costs more than $ 1.4 trillion worldwide due to health spending and productivity losses publication. This latest report sends a clear message: resilient tobacco tax policies are an effective public health and revenue-generating strategy to help governments achieve their sustainable development goals and better recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic support.
The handbook contains best practices from countries that have successfully implemented tobacco tax policies and met both health and revenue targets. The report also reiterates that a significant increase in excise tax, resulting in less affordable tobacco products, will greatly reduce tobacco consumption.
SEATCA’s Tobacco Tax Index shows that while some ASEAN countries have made progress in formulating and implementing tobacco tax policies, the entire region has been slow to develop in recent years, as tobacco taxes and prices have outpaced tobacco taxes and prices through economic and income growth were.
“The evidence is clear. Increasing tobacco taxes not only reduces tobacco consumption, but also enables governments to effectively generate revenue streams to fund health programs and other development priorities. This is particularly important for economic recovery during this pandemic, ”said SEATCA Executive Director Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo.
The WHO manual reminds governments that tobacco tax increases are SMART: it saves lives; Mobilizes resources; Address health inequalities; Reduces health system costs; and targets non-transferable risk factors to achieve sustainable development. The increase in taxes on tobacco products should also be part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy that includes extensive advertising bans, standardized packaging with large pictorial warnings, and public smoking bans that are effective in denormalizing the tobacco industry and consumption.
Image attribution: “World Health Organization” of the US Geneva Mission is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Contact information:
Val Bugnot, Media and Communication Officer, SEATCA
Email: val@seatca.org
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About SEATCA
SEATCA is a multisectoral, non-governmental alliance that promotes health and saves lives by helping ASEAN countries accelerate and effectively implement tobacco control measures contained in the WHO FCTC. Recognized by governments, academic institutions and civil society for promoting tobacco control in Southeast Asia, WHO SEATCA awarded the World No Tobacco Day Award in 2004 and the WHO Director General’s Special Recognition Award in 2014. Further information can be found at https://seatca.org/.