2023 Brings Tobacco Tax Increases Around the World

February 03, 2023 We covered a lot of ground on the blog in 2022 reviewing the evidence on tobacco taxation in various regions around the world. Across these vastly different policy environments, two things hold true: tobacco use continues to cause enormous harm, particularly among youth and low-income families, and taxation remains the most cost-effective, evidence-supported tobacco control tool to counter those harms. As we last discussed on the blog in July, many countries took steps towards improving tobacco control through increased taxation in 2022. While this progress needs further acceleration to adequately slow the tobacco epidemic, we’re encouraged to note several additional tax increases which are taking effect around the world as we ring in 2023. Read More

Tobacconomics Launches a Second Tobacco Control Supplement

September 13, 2022 Tobacconomics is excited to announce the launch of our second Tobacco Control supplement: The Economics of Tobacco Taxation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Part 2). This supplement includes original research from our think tank partners in Asia, Latin America, and Southeastern Europe. Read More

Tobacco Taxes and the Threat of the Illicit Market: Southeastern Europe

August 18, 2022 Over the past five years, Tobacconomics has been partnering with think tanks in low- and middle-income countries to improve our understanding of the economics of tobacco and tobacco control around the world. Our work aims to answer the questions set out by six research core competencies (shown below). The competencies are based on current political discussions surrounding tobacco control efforts. Read More

Tobacco Taxes and the Threat of the Illicit Market: Latin America

August 17, 2022 Five years ago, we launched the Think Tanks Project to build a local evidence base on the economics of tobacco and tobacco control in low- and middle-income countries. The research topics we pursued with our think tank partners were guided by six research core competencies (presented below as questions). This framework ensured that our findings were relevant and timely for policy makers. Read More

Tobacco Taxes and the Threat of the Illicit Market: Asia

August 16, 2022 In 2017, Tobacconomics began partnering with think tanks in low- and middle-income countries as part of the Think Tanks Project. This project aims to the produce local evidence on the economics of tobacco and tobacco control. Our work is guided by six research core competencies (presented below as questions), which ensure that the research is both relevant and timely for policy discussions. Read More

The Role of Tobacco in the Economies of Low- and Middle-Income Countries

August 11, 2022 In 2017, Tobacconomics began the Think Tanks Project with the goal of building a local evidence base on the economics of tobacco control in low- and middle-income countries. The research we produce is guided by six research core competencies (shown below as questions) to ensure that it is both timely and relevant for policy discussions. We hope our findings can be used to inform policies and strengthen tobacco control around the world. Read More

What is the True Burden? Estimating Smoking's Economic Costs

August 04, 2022 In 2017, Tobacconomics began partnering with think tanks in low- and middle-income countries to build a local evidence base on the economics of tobacco control. The findings produced under the Think Tanks Project relate to current policy discussions, as outlined by our six core competencies (presented as questions below).  Read More

Do Tobacco Taxes Harm the Poor in Southeastern Europe?: A Review of Evidence from the Region

July 29, 2022 In 2017, Tobacconomics began working with think tanks in low- and middle-income countries around the world to produce local economic evidence on tobacco taxation and other tobacco control strategies. Guided by the questions six research core competencies (shown below), we conducted research that is both timely and relevant to current policy discussions under the Think Tanks Project. These efforts can be used to inform more effective policies since many countries struggle to implement best practices in tobacco taxes (learn more in the Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard). As a result, governments are missing the opportunity to improve public health, while raising additional tax revenue. Read More

Do Tobacco Taxes Harm the Poor in Latin America?: A Review of Evidence from the Region

July 28, 2022 Around the world, countries continue to face challenges in the implementation of best practices in tobacco taxation (learn more in the Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard). Historically, tobacco control efforts were limited by a lack of local economic evidence on the effect of policies, especially tobacco taxation. To address this issue, Tobacconomics began to partner with think tanks in low- and middle-income countries in 2017. Six research core competencies (presented as questions in the table below) guide the evidence produced under the Think Tanks Project, ensuring that findings are relevant and timely for fiscal policy development. We hope that this research leads to the implementation of more effective tax policies. Read More

Do Tobacco Taxes Harm the Poor in Asia?: A Review of Evidence from the Region

July 27, 2022 In an effort to build the evidence base on the economics of tobacco taxation in low- and middle-income countries, Tobacconomics has been working with local think tanks since 2017. The evidence produced under the Think Tanks Project addresses the questions outlined in six research core competency questions (shown below). Each of these questions represents an important topic of discussion in fiscal policy development. We hope that policy makers will use these findings to guide and improve tobacco taxation policies (check out the Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard to learn about current policies). Read More