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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : May 28, 2014 7:00 PM IST
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Wednesday asked governments to raise taxes on tobacco products to curb their consumption.
'Research shows that higher taxes are especially effective in reducing tobacco use among lower-income groups and in preventing young people from starting to smoke.
'A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10 percent decreases tobacco consumption by about four percent in high-income countries and by up to eight percent in most low and middle-income countries,' the WHO said in a release.
Under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), countries should implement tax and price policies on tobacco products as a way to reduce consumption.
The WHO said increasing excise tax on tobacco is considered to be the most cost-effective tobacco control measure.
The World Health Report 2010 indicated that a 50-percent increase in tobacco excise tax would generate a little more than $1.4 billion in additional funds in 22 low-income countries.
If allocated to health, government health spending in these countries could increase by up to 50 percent.
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
It said the epidemic will kill more than eight million people every year by 2030.
More than 80 percent of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low-and middle-income countries.
What is tobacco?
Tobacco is a leaf of the Nicotiana plant whose main constituent nicotine is the most dangerous and commonly used recreational drug in the world. It's extremely addictive and can be consumed by smoking, chewing or dipping. Tobacco use causes over five million deaths every year and is responsible for one in three cancer case. It's also linked to developmental disorders, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, lung ailments, infertility, mental disorders, depression the list goes on. There are various techniques to quit tobacco use like nicotine replacement therapies, support groups, psychotherapies, etc.
With inputs from IANS
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