Developments in the Western Balkans Signal Crucial Progress in Tobacco Control in the Region
Economics for Health began working with think tanks in the Western Balkans back in 2018, (under our previous name, “Tobacconomics”). Since then, we have explored the economics of tobacco control and especially tobacco taxes across the region and shared these results with decision makers and other stakeholders. As this evidence... Read More about Developments in the Western Balkans Signal Crucial Progress in Tobacco Control in the RegionPress Release: Leading Think Tank on Health Impacts of Fiscal Policies Rebrands as Economics for Health
The following is a statement by Dr. Jeffrey Drope, Director of Economics for Health. “Decades of data on global burden of disease and mortality are clear. Increasingly, preventable deaths around the world are being driven by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, lung disease, and heart disease, which now give rise to 74% of... Read More about Press Release: Leading Think Tank on Health Impacts of Fiscal Policies Rebrands as Economics for HealthTobacco Control Community Unites to Protect Youth: World No Tobacco Day 2024
On World No Tobacco Day 2024, we are joining the tobacco control community and sounding warning bells about the concerning trends in youth smoking around the world. Surveys from around the world show that youth tobacco prevalence is either increasing or staying the same in nearly half of countries where recent data are available (learn mo... Read More about Tobacco Control Community Unites to Protect Youth: World No Tobacco Day 2024
New Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard Reveals Lack of Progress on Tobacco Taxes
The third edition of the Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard is out today, with troubling results for the tobacco control community. Governments have made insufficient progress in addressing one of the world’s leading causes of preventable death: tobacco use. The Scorecard assesses countries’ tobacco taxation performance ac... Read More about New Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard Reveals Lack of Progress on Tobacco TaxesPakistan’s Fiscal and Public Health Success with Higher Tobacco Taxes in 2022-23
Pakistan's Federal Excise Duty on cigarettes operates on a two-tiered specific system based on price— low and high. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the government demonstrated its commitment to reducing cigarette consumption in Pakistan by significantly increasing excise tax rates on cigarettes in both tiers. This led to the excise tax... Read More about Pakistan’s Fiscal and Public Health Success with Higher Tobacco Taxes in 2022-23
Looking Back on 2023: New Global Research on the Economics of Tobacco and Alcohol
Over the course of 2023, Tobacconomics continued to work with partners around the world, unified by a shared goal: to reduce the harms associated with tobacco and alcohol use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Promoting Tobacco Control to Lessen Disparities Through Local Research Our team, mostly comprising economists, began... Read More about Looking Back on 2023: New Global Research on the Economics of Tobacco and AlcoholTobacco Tax Increases Around the World– August 2023 Update
After decades of mounting evidence showing the devastating effects of the tobacco epidemic and the efficacy of taxation as a tool to curb harm, the tobacco control community may sound like a broken record. Still, tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death around the world, imposing a significant economic burden on... Read More about Tobacco Tax Increases Around the World– August 2023 Update
New Study on the Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard in Relation to Tobacco Tax Revenues
Increasing tobacco excise taxes is an extremely effective tobacco control measure that can also serve as an important revenue source for governments. A large body of literature documents the effectiveness of higher tobacco taxes to decrease tobacco consumption, including mitigating initiation and encouraging cessation. Notably, there is s... Read More about New Study on the Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard in Relation to Tobacco Tax Revenues