The Battle to Increase Tobacco Taxes: Lessons from Philippines and Ukraine

BackgroundPrevious research has outlined transnational tobacco company (TTC) efforts to undermine implementation of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (Protocol) and evidence of ongoing TTC complicity in the illicit tobacco trade (ITT). However, the industry’s views on the Protocol and role in its development are not well understood.MethodsSystematic searching and analysis of leaked documents—approximately 15 000 from British American Tobacco (BAT) and 35 from Philip Morris International, triangulated via searches of online resources and interviews with five stakeholders across academia, international organisations, governments, civil society and the private sector.FindingsEvidence indicates that after privately viewing the Protocol as a significant threat (2003), BAT worked to influence its content, while publicly signalling support for it (2007–2012), and was largely satisfied with the final text. BAT successfully pushed for a non-prescriptive text which enabled further country-level TTC influence during the Protocol’s implementation phase. The final text also reflected other BAT policy preferences, including preventing outright bans on duty-free sales and intermingling, and making it difficult to sanction and hold tobacco companies accountable for ongoing involvement in the ITT. TTC representatives were present during early Protocol negotiations, despite rules against this, and BAT obtained draft texts before they were public and paid at least one delegate to support its position.ConclusionsBAT’s primary interest in shaping the Protocol was to minimise its financial and legal costs for BAT while maximising potential costs to small competitors. These findings raise concern about the Protocol’s ability to control the ITT, particularly given TTCs’ intention to influence ongoing national implementation. An effective Protocol is vital to controlling both the ITT and ongoing tobacco industry involvement in it and, in turn, governments’ ability to increase tobacco taxes and thereby save lives.

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Tobacco control and Healthy China 2030

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054372 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 409-413 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Mark Goodchild ◽

Rong Zheng

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Smoking Rate ◽

Policy Makers ◽

The Real ◽

The Third ◽

Full Implementation ◽

Tobacco Taxes ◽

Real Price ◽

Business As Usual

BackgroundThe Healthy China 2030 strategy sets ambitious targets for China’s policy-makers, including a decrease in the smoking rate from 27.7% in 2015 to 20% by 2030. China has made progress on tobacco control in recent years, but many key measures remain underused. This study explores the potential for full implementation of these measures to achieve the targeted reduction in smoking by 2030.MethodsFirst, a ‘business as usual’ scenario for China’s cigarette market was developed based only on underlying economic parameters. Second, non-price tobacco control measures were then added assuming they are fully implemented by 2030. Third, excise per pack was raised to a level that would increase the real price of cigarettes by 50% in 2030.FindingsUnder the business as usual scenario, the rate of smoking falls to around 26.6% in 2030. When non-price measures are included, the rate of smoking falls to 22.0% (20.9%~23.1%). Thus, non-price measures alone are unlikely to achieve the Healthy China target. Under the third scenario, excise per pack was roughly doubled in 2030 in order to increase real cigarette prices by 50%. The rate of smoking then falls to 19.7% (18.2%~21.3%), reflecting 78 million (59~97 million) fewer smokers compared with 2016. In addition, real excise revenue from cigarettes increases by 21% (−3%~47%) compared with 2016.ConclusionSignificantly higher tobacco taxes will be needed to achieve Healthy China 2030 target for reduced smoking even after the implementation of other tobacco control measures.

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Impact of nations meeting the MPOWER targets between 2014 and 2016: an update

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054837 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. tobaccocontrol-2018-054837 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

David T Levy ◽

Yameng Li ◽

Zhe Yuan

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Control ◽

Tobacco Use ◽

Health Impact ◽

Health Warnings ◽

Control Policies ◽

The Public ◽

Policy Effect ◽

Tobacco Taxes ◽

Tobacco Control Policies ◽

Free Air

ObjectiveSince the WHO released the Monitoring tobacco use and tobacco control policies; Protecting from the dangers of tobacco smoke; Offering help to quit tobacco; Warning the public about the dangers; Enforcing bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and Raising tobacco taxes (MPOWER) policy package to assist nations with implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), 88 countries have adopted at least one MPOWER policy at the highest level as of 2014. Building on previous evaluations, we estimated the reduction in smoking-attributable deaths (SADs) from all policies newly adopted at the highest level between 2014 and 2016.MethodsFor each nation that implemented highest level policies, the difference in policy effect sizes from previously validated SimSmoke models for the policies in effect in 2014 and 2016 were multiplied by the number of smokers in that nation to derive the reduction in the number of smokers. Based on research that half of all smokers die from smoking, we derived SADs averted.FindingsIn total, 43 nations adopted at least one highest-level MPOWER policy between 2014 and 2016, resulting in 14.6 million fewer SADs. The largest number of SADs averted were due to stronger health warnings (13.3 million), followed by raising taxes (0.6 million), increased marketing bans (0.4 million), smoke-free air laws (0.3 million) and cessation interventions (2500).ConclusionThese findings demonstrate the continuing public health impact of tobacco control policies adopted globally since the FCTC, and highlight the importance of more countries adopting MPOWER policies at the highest level to reduce the global burden of tobacco use.

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An estimate of tobacco taxes paid by children in Japan

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tc.2.4.333a ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 333-333

Author(s):

S. Tominaga

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Taxes

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U.S. Tobacco Taxes: behavioural effects and policy implications

Addiction ◽

10.1111/j.1360-0443.1989.tb00717.x ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 84 (10) ◽

pp. 1217-1235 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

EUGENE M. LEWIT

Keyword(s):

Policy Implications ◽

Tobacco Taxes ◽

Behavioural Effects

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Organizational and Financial Analysis of Polish Tobacco Control Program in 2000–2018

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17072532 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (7) ◽

pp. 2532

Author(s):

Łukasz Balwicki ◽

Anna Tyrańska-Fobke ◽

Małgorzata Balwicka-Szczyrba ◽

Marlena Robakowska ◽

Michal Stoklosa

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Tobacco Control ◽

Financial Analysis ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Control Program ◽

Health Technology ◽

National Guidelines ◽

Control Programs ◽

Tobacco Control Program ◽

Tobacco Taxes

In accordance with the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), each country shall promote and strengthen public awareness of tobacco control issues (Article 12). Many parties to the FCTC have adopted national tobacco control programs to organize their tobacco control activities. The aim of our study was to analyze the organization and funding of the Polish Tobacco Control Program in years 2000–2018. Document analysis of The Program and reports from its implementation were performed in accordance to the Agency for Health Technology Assessment in Poland (AHTAPol) recommendations and the WHO FCTC guidelines for Article 12 implementation. Spending was also analyzed. The study showed both inadequate planning of and funding for Polish Tobacco Control Program. The Program was developed without use of best practices detailed in the WHO FCTC guidelines as well as in national guidelines prepared by AHTAPol. The experience of Poland shows that although earmarking tobacco taxes has existed in the law, it has been largely ineffective due to the poor Tobacco Control Program design and insufficient funding resulting from a poor execution of the earmarking law. This may be a warning to other countries to strive to create law, compliance with which can be verified and controlled.

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Impact of three annual tobacco tax rises on tobacco sales in remote Australian Aboriginal community stores

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055865 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-055865

Author(s):

David P Thomas ◽

Emma McMahon ◽

Zhiqiang Wang ◽

Michelle M Scollo ◽

Sarah J Durkin

Keyword(s):

Interrupted Time Series ◽

Tobacco Consumption ◽

Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽

Aboriginal Communities ◽

Tobacco Taxes ◽

Tobacco Sales ◽

Tobacco Tax ◽

Australian Aboriginal Community ◽

Tobacco Taxation ◽

First Time

BackgroundThere is strong evidence from many settings that tobacco tax rises which increase prices reduce tobacco consumption, but only limited evidence from Indigenous settings.MethodsWe analysed 3 years (2016–2018) of weekly sales data from 32 stores in remote Aboriginal communities. We used interrupted time series analysis to estimate the immediate impact of the price rice following annual 12.5% tobacco tax rises on sales on (A) stick equivalents of tobacco and (B) fruit and vegetables (kg) per $A1000 of grocery sales, and on the trend in sales between price rises.ResultsWe detected 5.8% and 8.2% immediate declines in tobacco sales following the price rises associated with annual 12.5% tax rises in 2016 and 2018, and a non-significant decline (1.6%) following the 2017 tax rise. Decreased sales were mainly driven by declines in mainstream and premium factory-made cigarettes. Fruit and vegetable sales did not change at the time of tobacco price rises.ConclusionFor the first time, we demonstrated evidence of price-sensitivity and the immediate impact of price rises from tobacco tax rises on tobacco sales in remote Aboriginal communities. We acknowledge that Australia already has very high tobacco taxation and prices, but recommend further increases to the taxation of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco to prevent smokers and industry using cheaper RYO cigarettes to undermine this impact of high tobacco taxes and prices.

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