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WHO calls for increase in tobacco tax
Every six seconds, a person dies worldwide from the effects of tobacco consumption. This is the conclusion of the World Health Organization (WHO) "World Tobacco Report 2015". After that, the number of victims could rise to more than eight million a year by 2030. According to the WHO, only stronger countermeasures, such as the increase in tobacco taxes, could help. Because this could be the smoking rate proven to be significantly reduced.
More than 600,000 people die from passive smoking
More and more people are dying despite information campaigns, advertising bans, warnings on cigarette packets and smoking bans by the consumption of tobacco. As the World Health Organization's (WTO) "World Tobacco Report 2015" shows, the Blue Haze claims every six million victims. More than five million of these deaths are the result of direct consumption, while more than 600,000 people are killed as non-smokers by passive smoking in restaurants, offices or other enclosed spaces. This would kill more people as a result of smoking than HIV or AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined, according to the WHO.
High taxes on tobacco products can most effectively curb consumption. (Image: Petra Beerhalter / fotolia.com) WHO recommends taxes of three quarters of the selling price
Accordingly, tobacco-related diseases are "one of the greatest threats to public health the world has ever experienced," WHO warns. Smoking is one of the most important risk factors for diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. According to WHO data, a total of 16 million people died prematurely in 2012, ie before their 70th birthday. Almost 80 percent of the world's approximately one billion smokers would live in low- and middle-income countries.
Although the number of smokers has now declined in many countries, the proportion is increasing worldwide due to the growing population. By 2030, this could increase the number of victims to eight million - unless developments are curbed by stricter measures. Above all, this concerns the increase in the tobacco tax, as so far only 33 of the 194 WHO countries would have the recommended tax rate of three quarters of the sales price.
Tax increase is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco consumption
Increasing taxes on tobacco products is one of the most effective and economical ways to curb the consumption of lethal products and generate significantly higher tax revenues, "said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. Accordingly, it appealed to governments not to be guided by the arguments of the industry, but by the "evidence" and "to use [...] one of the best win-win strategy options available to the health sector."
Strong decline in juvenile smokers
Some countries have already made significant progress, the organization said. "Evidence from countries such as China and France shows that higher tobacco product prices combined with tax increases lead to a decline in smoking prevalence and tobacco-related lung cancer deaths," said the director of the WHO Department for the Prevention of Communicable Diseases, Drs. Douglas Bettcher.
In Germany, the WHO recommendation is also almost reached, because almost 75% of the selling price is now composed of taxes. The price increases and the sales ban introduced in 2009 to under 18-year-olds have already massively reduced the number of young smokers in this country, according to Kirsten Schotte of the WHO to the news agency "dpa".
This is also confirmed by the figures of the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), which has been recording a sharp decline in smoking among 12- to 17-year-olds since 2001. While the smoking rate in this age group was still 28 percent in 2001, a "historic low" of just under 10 percent was reached in 2014, according to the information provided by the BZgA. The average starting age in Germany is 14.8 years, whereby the risk of dependency is higher the sooner children and adolescents start to smoke. According to the BZgA, the entry into smoking is primarily promoted by smoking parents or friends of the same age as well as targeted advertising. In addition, the inhibition threshold would be lowered by cigarettes, which are enhanced by additives such as cocoa and menthol the taste. (No)
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