Australia's $40 per pack cigarette tax plans : the need to consider equity

Hirono, Katherine T and Smith, Katherine E (2018) Australia's $40 per pack cigarette tax plans : the need to consider equity. Tobacco Control, 27 (2). pp. 229-233. ISSN 0964-4563

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    Abstract

    In May 2016, the Australian Government announced that it would implement annual increases in tobacco excise of 12.5% up to and including 2020, raising the cost of a pack of cigarettes to $A40. This increase will lead to Australia having one of the highest prices of cigarettes in the world. Increasing the cost of tobacco is considered by public health experts to be one of the most effective strategies to reduce tobacco use, and is generally well supported by the public. However, tobacco tax increases differentially impact various subgroups of the population. Based on a review of existing literature, this paper examines some of the potential (unintended) consequences of the tax to individual and family income; illicit trade; social stigma and opportunities for lobbying by the tobacco industry. In light of these considerations, we offer strategies that might be used by policymakers to mitigate potential harms. While this paper focuses on the impacts primarily on populations in Australia, the consequences and strategies offered may be useful to other countries implementing tobacco excise increases.

    Author(s):Hirono, Katherine T and Smith, Katherine E ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1060-4102
    Item type:Article
    ID code:69830
    Keywords:disparities, priority/special populations, taxation, Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine, Health(social science), Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
    Subjects:Medicine > Public aspects of medicine > Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
    Department:Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) > School of Social Work and Social Policy > Social Work and Social Policy
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:18 Sep 2019 11:15
    Last modified:04 Nov 2019 04:00
    Related URLs:
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/69830
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