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March 31, 2004 | Francis Thompson
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| Tax policy to address tobacco market failures |
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Tobacco tax increases are the biggest single factor in the recent drops in Canadian per capita cigarette consumption, which has declined by roughly 20% since the most recent cycle of tax increases began in 2001. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that tax policy is the cornerstone of Canadian tobacco control policy. However, some aspects of present government policy do unintentionally reinforce problematic features of the present tobacco market, and should be adjusted accordingly. This paper discusses various tax policy options that could address these features. Click here for the pdf.
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According to the latest results from the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS), for data collected between February and December 2005, slightly fewer than 5 million people, representing 19% of the population aged 15 years and older, were current smokers, of which 15% reported smoking daily. Approximately 22% of men were current smokers, higher than the proportion of women (16%). |
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Tobacco tax increases are the biggest single factor in the recent drops in Canadian per capita cigarette consumption, which has declined by roughly 20% since the most recent cycle of tax increases began in 2001. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that tax policy is the cornerstone of Canadian tobacco control policy. However, some aspects of present government policy do unintentionally reinforce problematic features of the present tobacco market, and should be adjusted accordingly. This paper discusses various tax policy options that could address these features. Click here for the pdf.
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