Modeling the Long-Term Health and Cost Impacts of Reducing Smoking Prevalence through Tobacco Taxation in Ukraine
Smoking is a leading cause of preventable premature deaths. Smoking’s effects will continue to devastate lives in many countries, including Ukraine, if measures are not implemented to reduce its prevalence. Smoking is a major cause of many chronic...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2017
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/417831489985759573/Modeling-the-long-term-health-and-cost-impacts-of-reducing-smoking-prevalence-through-tobacco-taxation-in-Ukraine http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26400 |
| Summary: | Smoking is a leading cause of
preventable premature deaths. Smoking’s effects will
continue to devastate lives in many countries, including
Ukraine, if measures are not implemented to reduce its
prevalence. Smoking is a major cause of many chronic
diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory
disease, and smoking-related cancers. Over recent years,
successful tobacco control policies in Ukraine have resulted
in one of the fastest declines in smoking prevalence in the
world (1) This is largely due to multifaceted tobacco
control legislation, adopted from 2005 and subsequently
upgraded. Ukraine ratified the WHO Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2006. Currently, Ukrainian
legislation basically corresponds to FCTC requirements. In
2005, Ukraine adopted a first tobacco-control law. Since
then, several additional tobacco-control policies have been
implemented in the country. Smoke-free policies supported by
media campaigns have covered many workplaces and public
places since the middle of 2006. Under these policies, at
least 50 percent of the area of restaurants and bars had to
be isolated from the smoking area, so that tobacco smoke did
not penetrate into smoke-free areas. This measure was
supported by an intensive media campaign and public movement
in favor of smoke-free policies. Many restaurants went
completely smoke-free both before and after implementing
this measure. As of December 2012, restaurants, workplaces,
and other public places became 100 percent smoke-free.
Designated smoking places, which figured in the legislation
between 2006 and 2012, were abolished in the amended laws.
As of late 2006, cigarette packs carried textual warning
labels covering 30 percent of their surface, in place of a
previous warning which covered 10 percent of the front
surface and stated: ‘Ministry of Health warns: smoking is
bad for your health.’ Since October 4, 2012, large (50
percent of the pack surface area), graphic health-warning
labels on tobacco packaging have been introduced. The
present report provides evidence from a modeling exercise
undertaken to predict the health and related cost impacts
that may stem from the implementation of a tobacco excise
tax increase in Ukraine. Impacts are calculated relative to
the status quo before the tax hike, and are modeled,
beginning in 2017, for 2025 and 2035. |
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