Governments should impose higher taxes on tobacco products: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that it’s important that governments around the world start imposing taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products to protect people from lethal diseases and generate funds for stronger health services.

The WHO said in a report, titled ‘The Global Tobacco Epidemic 2015’, not enough governments have made full use of tobacco taxes to discourage people from taking up smoking or help them curb the habit and finally quit. According to the WHO, tax should account for at least 75% price of the pack.

According to the WHO, tobacco-related disease claims life of one person every second or so, which means about 6 million people a year.

The WHO has warned that the numbers of deaths from tobacco-related diseases are likely to touch the 8-milion mark a year by 2030. The WHO has said that it’s high time that governments must pay heed to the tobacco-issue and save lives from what it calls a “tobacco epidemic”.

“Raising taxes on tobacco products is one of the most effective -- and cost-effective -- ways to reduce consumption of products that kill, while also generating substantial revenue”, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in the report.

Tobacco poses the risk of cancers, cardiovascular, lung diseases and diabetes. Douglas Bettcher, a WHO expert on the prevention of non-communicable diseases, said higher taxes have already been very effective to bring down consumption and help people break the habit of smoking.

For example, China and France have witnessed decline in smoking prevalence and tobacco-related harm after raising taxes on tobacco products.