NEW REPORT – The Price We Pay: Six Industry Pricing Strategies That Undermine Life-Saving Tobacco Taxes
A report published by global tobacco industry watchdog STOP entitled The Price We Pay reveals that tobacco companies in Africa and around the world are using pricing strategies to weaken the impact of tax increases designed to reduce the health and economic costs of tobacco use.
The report highlights six industry pricing strategies that undermine life-saving tobacco tax policies. This first study combines research on tobacco industry tactics in the South and compares them to tactics seen in richer countries. It cites examples from nearly 30 countries, including 12 African countries: Botswana, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It also examines the impact of cheap cigarettes sold as individual sticks, which are commonly found despite being banned. The report’s recommendations enable the government to ensure that tobacco taxation policies benefit the public and not the industry, in order to prevent or avoid manipulation by tobacco companies.
