Tax increases effectively decrease smoking, especially by children and teens, who are more price sensitive than adults and who are less likely to be addicted.
The most recent research suggests that a 10% increase in the price of cigarettes would reduce the number of teenagers who smoke by 7% and the consumption by remaining teenage smokers by 6%.
Tax increases are especially effective at motivating younger adult smokers, poorer smokers, Hispanic smokers, and African-American smokers to quit or cut down on the amount they smoke.
Centers for Disease Control. Response to increases in cigarette prices by race/ethnicity, income and age groups — United States, 1975-1993. MMWR. July 31, 1998..Grossman M, Chaloupka FJ. Cigarette taxes. Public Health Reports. 1997;112:291-297. |
