151. Experts for harmonising cigarette taxes with WHO guidelines.
- Subjects
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CIGARETTE tax , *ECONOMIC aspects of diseases , *DEVELOPMENT economics , *TOBACCO taxes , *TOBACCO products , *TOBACCO use , *SMUGGLING - Abstract
Health experts in Pakistan are calling for the harmonization of cigarette taxes with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Low taxes on cigarettes in Pakistan make them cheaper, leading to an increase in smokers and smoking-related diseases. A study conducted by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics found that individuals in the 35-64 age group bear 86% of the cost of smoking-induced diseases. The study also revealed that the total cost of smoking-related mortality and morbidity accounts for 1.6% of the country's GDP, while healthcare spending is less than 1% of GDP. The WHO guidelines recommend a threshold of 70% of the retail price or the level required to cover the costs incurred by the country. The revenue collected from cigarette taxation is significantly lower than the economic and health costs imposed by smoking on society. The prevalence of tobacco use in Pakistan is high, with 31.9 million adults consuming tobacco products. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024