Global Tobacco Control Program : Some Perspectives from Across the World (English)

Tobacco use is a significant hurdle to development gains worldwide. It is the leading cause of preventable death. Smoking-related illness costs billions of dollars each year, imposing a heavy economic toll on countries, both in terms of direct medical... See More + Tobacco use is a significant hurdle to development gains worldwide. It is the leading cause of preventable death. Smoking-related illness costs billions of dollars each year, imposing a heavy economic toll on countries, both in terms of direct medical care for adults and lost productivity.In spite of these achievements, much more needs to be done to control this health scourge. Raising tobacco taxes to make these deadly products unaffordable is the most cost-effective measure to reduce tobacco use or to prevent its initiation among youth. The benefits of higher tobacco taxes and prices are obvious, as there are good health outcomes both for individuals and entire communities that result from reduced consumption of tobacco products.This fiscal measure also helps expand a country’s tax base to mobilize additional revenue to fund vital health programmes and other essential public services.Looking ahead, increased tobacco taxation could represent an important revenue stream for helping finance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the world.Tobacco control is fully aligned with the World Bank Group’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty by 2030, and boosting shared prosperity by increasing the income of the bottom 40 percent of the world’s population. It makes solid economic sense,given the high costs of tobacco-related ill health and premature death and disability of adults in their most productive years. Tobacco use also disproportionately affects the poorest people. More than 80 percent of the world’s smokers live in low- and middle income countries, harming health, incomes, earning potential, labour productivity, and undermining human capital accumulation– a critical factor for sustainable economic growth and social development.The World Bank’s Economics of Tobacco Toolkit helps researchers analyse the economics of tobacco policies in their countries, while other reports on the challenge posed by noncommunicable diseases in numerous regions and countries highlight the importance of tobacco control as a priority public policy intervention. World Bank teams, working with in country,regional and global partners, have provided technical assistance to design and implement tobacco taxation reforms intended to reduce tobacco use by raising prices for these products.The World Bank is committed to support the implementation of the global tobacco control effort outlined in this report,particularly tobacco taxation. Effective tobacco tax regimens that make tobacco products unaffordable represent a 21st century intervention to tackle the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases.  See Less -