WHO bats for increasing taxes on tobacco to check addiction
Updated: May 29, 2014 01:38:29pm
New Delhi, May 29 (KNN) On World No Tobacco Day, May 31, WHO (World Health Organization) calls on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco, WHO said in a release.
Based on 2012 data, WHO estimates that by increasing tobacco taxes by 50 per cent, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next 3 years and ultimately save 11 million lives.
“Today, every 6 seconds someone dies from tobacco use. Tobacco kills up to half of its users. It also incurs considerable costs for families, businesses and governments.
Treating tobacco-related diseases like cancer and heart disease is expensive. And as tobacco-related disease and death often strikes people in the prime of their working lives, productivity and incomes fall,” the release added.
“Raising taxes on tobacco is the most effective way to reduce use and save lives,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.
“Determined action on tobacco tax policy hits the industry where it hurts,” he added.
High prices are particularly effective in discouraging young people (who often have more limited incomes than older adults) from taking up smoking. They also encourage existing young smokers to either reduce their use of tobacco or quit altogether.
“Price increases are 2 to 3 times more effective in reducing tobacco use among young people than among older adults,” said Director of the Department for Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases at WHO Douglas Bettcher. “Tax policy can be divisive, but this is the tax rise everyone can support. As tobacco taxes go up, death and disease go down.”
According to the WHO calculations, if all countries increased tobacco taxes by 50 per cent per pack, governments would earn an extra USD 101 billion in global revenue.
“Tobacco use is the world’s leading preventable cause of death. Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. If no action is taken, tobacco will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030, more than 80 per cent of them among people living in low- and middle-income countries,” the release said. (KNN/SD)
Based on 2012 data, WHO estimates that by increasing tobacco taxes by 50 per cent, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next 3 years and ultimately save 11 million lives.
“Today, every 6 seconds someone dies from tobacco use. Tobacco kills up to half of its users. It also incurs considerable costs for families, businesses and governments.
Treating tobacco-related diseases like cancer and heart disease is expensive. And as tobacco-related disease and death often strikes people in the prime of their working lives, productivity and incomes fall,” the release added.
“Raising taxes on tobacco is the most effective way to reduce use and save lives,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.
“Determined action on tobacco tax policy hits the industry where it hurts,” he added.
High prices are particularly effective in discouraging young people (who often have more limited incomes than older adults) from taking up smoking. They also encourage existing young smokers to either reduce their use of tobacco or quit altogether.
“Price increases are 2 to 3 times more effective in reducing tobacco use among young people than among older adults,” said Director of the Department for Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases at WHO Douglas Bettcher. “Tax policy can be divisive, but this is the tax rise everyone can support. As tobacco taxes go up, death and disease go down.”
According to the WHO calculations, if all countries increased tobacco taxes by 50 per cent per pack, governments would earn an extra USD 101 billion in global revenue.
“Tobacco use is the world’s leading preventable cause of death. Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. If no action is taken, tobacco will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030, more than 80 per cent of them among people living in low- and middle-income countries,” the release said. (KNN/SD)
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