2023-05-02 14:02:10
02 May 2023
On May 1, and for the second time since the beginning of the year, the price of cigarettes increased by between 20 and 70 cents depending on the brand. But do these increases really reduce consumption?
For many years, tobacco has seen regular price increases. Objective: to reduce the human and financial costs of smoking which, it should be remembered, remains the leading cause of preventable cancer. But does raising prices deter smokers?
To answer this question, just look at the numbers. In 2000, the best-selling pack of cigarettes cost 3.20 euros. To pass in 2010 to 5.65 euros. Then at 7 euros in 2016, 9 in 2019 and 11 today. During these two decades, tobacco sales have more than halved, dropping from around 92,000 tonnes in 2000 to 40,000 tonnes in 2022.
« The successive price increases decided since 2000 and accentuated at the end of 2003-beginning of 2004, accompanied by other measures to combat smoking, led to a particularly sharp drop in cigarette sales in 2003 (-14%) and 2004 (-21% ) “, notes the French Observatory of drugs and drug addiction.
« The fall in volumes sold at tobacconists accelerated between 2017 and 2022 (-26.1%), in line with the main public measures implemented since 2017: three-year price increase program, reimbursement under ordinary law of nicotine treatments for substitution (TNS), implementation of the neutral packet. »
The most effective measure
For the World Health Organization (WHO), « raising tobacco taxes is the most effective and cost-effective solution to reducing smoking “. Much more than prevention campaigns. According to her, ” raising the price by 10% reduces smoking by 4% in high-income countries and by regarding 5% in low- and middle-income countries. »
And not surprisingly, it is generally for the health of people with the lowest incomes, and in particular young people, that price increases through taxation are most beneficial. »
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