1 in 4 adults in Albania smoke - "Increasing excise duty by 30% reduces smoking"
1 in 4 adults in Albania smoke, or in other words 25 percent of the adult population, causing health and economic damage to themselves. Smoking in Albania continues to remain at high levels where almost half of men smoke. The level of consumption significantly exceeds the OECD countries as well as the global average level.
Among the main causes of the high levels of tobacco consumption in Albania are the relatively low prices of cigarettes, partly due to the low excise duty on tobacco products. According to a study done by DSA, increasing the level of excise duty by at least 30% would significantly reduce tobacco consumption.
Drini Imami, Economist, Representative of DSA:
"What we have clearly documented is that a large increase in excise duty contributes to the reduction of tobacco consumption, especially among young people who are much more sensitive to prices. We recommend to the politicians to increase the excise duty somewhere up to 30%. The increase in inflation has made tobacco cheaper in relative terms, because the excise duty is not indexed."
Tobacco excise levels are considered among the lowest in the region and significantly lower compared to EU minimum requirements. The study shows that price has a major impact on the likelihood of starting smoking as well as the decision to quit.
A 10 percent price increase decreases the probability of starting smoking in Albania by more than 5 percent. As for tobacco consumption and poverty, studies show that in Albania there are about 13,000 families with 60,000 members who have passed below the poverty line.
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