Rising Cigarette Prices Lead to Decline in Smoking Rates

Higher prices for cigarettes in Pakistan are causing fewer people to smoke. A recent report from Islamabad’s Center for Research and Dialogue (CRD) shows that smoking rates have gone down by 18%. This decrease is linked directly to the increase in cigarette prices.

The World Health Organization (WHO) supports the idea of raising taxes on tobacco products because it helps in reducing smoking. The report reveals that 15% of people surveyed said they are smoking less because cigarettes cost more now. This means there are about 11 billion fewer cigarettes being smoked in Pakistan each year. Normally, Pakistan sees between 72 to 80 billion cigarettes smoked annually, including those that are taxed, smuggled, or not taxed.

However, even with these positive changes, cigarettes in Pakistan are still quite cheap compared to other countries nearby. This shows that there’s space for more increases in cigarette prices to further discourage smoking.

Maryam Gul Tahir, who works at CRD, believes that Pakistan needs to continue making cigarettes more expensive to discourage smoking. She thinks the health of the people is more important than making money from selling cigarettes.

World Bank and IMF Agree on Increased Cigarettes Prices

Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agree that making cigarettes more expensive is a good idea. They believe that higher prices lead to fewer people smoking. This report from Pakistan provides evidence that supports their belief.

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Moving forward, Pakistan needs to focus on policies that promote public health and financial responsibility. One suggestion is to make the taxes on all tobacco products the same. This could further reduce smoking and also bring in more money for the government. The World Bank estimates that if Pakistan applies the same tax rate to all tobacco products, it could increase the government’s revenue by about 0.4% of the total money the country makes (GDP).

The rise in cigarette prices in Pakistan has led to a decline in smoking rates. This is a positive step towards improving public health and reducing the economic burden caused by smoking-related illnesses.