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Price and Consumption of Tobacco: Joytownsend
Price and Consumption of Tobacco: Joytownsend
Price and Consumption of Tobacco: Joytownsend
JoyTownsend
MRC Epidemiology and Medical Care Unit, Wolf son Institute of Preventive Medicine, The Medical
College of St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK
©Tha Brttith Council 1996 Britiih Modical BullsKn 1996;52 (No. 1):132-U2
Price and consumption of tobacco
17,000 Consumption
2.25
,§ 15,000
82
13,000
*m o
175 g-2
3
Andrews &Franko(l 991 ) Mata-analysis
UK -0.5 0.4
US -07 0.5
Other -07 0.4
Post 1970 -0.4 0.3
Townsend(1988) 13 Europe 1 9 8 6 - 8 8 -0.4 0.5
Chapman & Richardson* New Guinea 1 9 7 3 - 8 6 -07 0.9
Worgotter & Kunze (1986)* Austria 1 9 5 5 - 8 3 -0J
Walsh (1980)* Ireland post 1961 -0.4
MenSEG
1 (Profowond) 0.0 - 4 . 5 % p.a.*"
2 (Managerial) -0.1 -3.5%p.a."*
3 (Clerical) -0.7* -3.0%p.a.*
3 (SIrifled manuol) -0.5* -2.0%p.a."
4 (Semi-sidled manod) -OJ* -1.5%p.a.**
5 (Unified manual) -1.0* 0%pja.
140 BrfHihM«fica/Bo//.Hn
Price and consumption of tobacco
Conclusion
There is little doubt that price has a major effect on cigarette
consumption and thus smoking induced disease, especially in low income
groups. To use this as a tool of preventive medicine, therefore, seems the
right public health policy28. Fiscal policy is not an alternative to other
methods of reducing the harm of tobacco, but it is one of the most
powerful elements of the type of comprehensive policy recommended by
the World Health Organization and other authoritative bodies. Raising
tobacco tax also has the advantage to governments of increasing revenue.
Public information and health promotion campaigns reduce smoking in
their own right; they may also pave the way to make cigarette tax
increases for health reasons politically acceptable. Progressive increases
in taxes will reduce smoking and smoking disease, to the interest of
References
1 Central Statistical Office. National Income and Expenditure Accounts. London: HMSO,
1972-93
2 INSEE Comptes Nationaux Dominique Darman. Paris: INSEE Premiere No. 100 August 1990