Excise

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Cigarette tax increases are a logical first step in raising revenue for COVID-19 recovery

Globally, the overall performance of cigarette tax policies is quite low—especially given the magnitude of the economic and health losses related to tobacco use. These results show considerable untapped potential for cigarette tax increases to raise revenue for a COVID-19 recovery and importantly, prevent premature deaths and promote a healthy and productive workforce. All these…

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Research shows that Pakistan is more than ready for a significant tobacco excise tax increase

One in five adults in Pakistan use tobacco on a regular basis. This leads to serious consequences for the country’s public health and its economy: just over 160,000 deaths and an economic loss of 143,208 million rupees occur every year due to tobacco-related illnesses. In recent years, Pakistan has taken important steps towards protecting people…

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Ethiopia is increasing its tobacco taxes by introducing a specific excise

Last week Ethiopia passed a landmark bill increasing taxes on tobacco products. The tax reform came almost exactly a year after the country passed its comprehensive tobacco control law introducing broad smoke-free policies, advertising bans, large pictorial warnings on packs, new age restrictions on cigarette purchasing as well as banning electronic cigarettes and flavored tobacco.…

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When Tobacco Crowds Out Rice

The burden of the tobacco epidemic is always tragic, but it is particularly problematic for those in economic need. Losing a breadwinner to a tobacco-related disease often means years in poverty for the smoker’s family. More often, though, increased tobacco consumption leads to decreased family budget to purchase other essential goods—e.g., food, clothes, and hygiene…