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Cited by 134Smoking Behavior and CessationGlobal Public Health Policies and EpidemiologyEconomics of Agriculture and Food Markets

An international analysis of cigarette affordability

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Blecher, E H, van Walbeek, C P·2004·Tobacco Control
DOI 10.1136/tc.2003.006726PMC PMC1747952
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Abstract

Objective: To investigate how affordable cigarettes are in developed and developing countries, and to calculate by how much the affordability of cigarettes has changed between 1990 and 2001; and secondly, to investigate the relation between cigarette affordability and consumption. Design: Affordability was defined as the cost of cigarettes relative to per capita income. Trends in cigarette affordability, and affordability elasticities of demand, were estimated using regression techniques. Subjects: Seventy countries were investigated, of which 28 are categorised as high income developed countries, while 42 are categorised as developing countries. Cigarette prices were obtained for the main city/cities in the countries. Results: Despite the fact that cigarettes are more expensive in developed countries, the high levels of income make cigarettes more affordable in these countries vis-à-vis developing countries. Of the 28 developed countries, cigarettes became more affordable in 11 and less affordable in 17 countries during the 1990s. Of the 42 developing countries, cigarettes became more affordable in 24 and less affordable in 18 countries. Based on a cross sectional analysis, a 1% increase in the relative income price (the inverse of cigarette affordability) is expected to decrease cigarette consumption by between 0.49–0.57%. Conclusions: Cigarette affordability, more than just the price, determines cigarette consumption. While cigarettes have become more affordable in many developing countries, some developing countries (for example, South Africa, Poland, and Thailand) have implemented strong and effective tobacco control policies, and have been able to decrease cigarette consumption as a result.

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  • When affordability elasticities of demand were evaluated in 70 countries between 1990 and 2001, each 1% increase in the relative income price (the inverse of cigarette affordability) was estimated to decrease cigarette consumption by between 0.49% and 0.57%.

    “When affordability elasticities of demand were evaluated in 70 countries between 1990 and 2001, each 1% increase in the relative income price (the inverse of cigarette affordability) was estimated to decrease cigarette consumption by between 0.49% and 0.57%.207”

    From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [207]

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. The World Bank. World development report 2002/2003. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
  2. Scollo M. The Big Mac index of cigarette affordability. Tobacco Control 1996;5:69.
  3. Gujarati DN. Basic econometrics, 4th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003.

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Authors
Blecher, E. H., & van Walbeek, C. P.
Affiliations
University of Cape Town (ZA)
ORCID
Blecher, E H
Venue
Tobacco Control
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2004-11-24
Volume
13
Issue
4
Pages
339-346
ISSN
  • 0964-4563 (ISSN-L)
  • 1468-3318
DOI
10.1136/tc.2003.006726
PMC
PMC1747952
OpenAlex
W1983077497
Cited by
134
References
17
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 7
FWCI
1.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Tobacco Control (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Economics of Agriculture and Food Markets
Keywords
cigarette affordability, cigarette prices, tobacco use, price elasticity, relative income, developed countries, developing countries, tobacco control, cross-national comparison
MeSH terms
Smoking Prevention, Costs and Cost Analysis, Cross-Sectional Studies, Developing Countries, Health Policy, Humans, Income, Smoking, Developed Countries

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