The relation between cigarette taxes and older adult smoking in Zhejiang and Gansu: what happened following the 2009 Chinese Tax adjustments?

Abstract

BackgroundIn May 2009, the Chinese government raised cigarette excise tax rates and adjusted standards for Grade A cigarettes and Grade B cigarettes. The present study aimed to examine the effects of the tax adjustments in 2009 on smoking behaviors and health outcomes among smokers aged above 45.MethodsData from the 2008 and 2012 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study of Zhejiang and Gansu provinces were used to estimate the influence of tax increase on the number of cigarettes smoked daily and health capital. The sample included 706 smokers who were 45 years old and older at the time of data collection in 2008. The sample group was surveyed again in 2012. The final sample size was 1366. Logit model was applied.ResultsCigarette tax adjustment in 2009 resulted in the decrease in the likelihood of smoking 0–10 cigarettes per day by 1.06%; the increase in the likelihood of those smoking 11–20 cigarettes per day by 0.44%; and, those smoking 20 cigarettes or more by 0.63%; the decrease in the likelihood of good health by 0.47%; the increase in the prevalence of chronic disease by 1.34%.ConclusionsThe smoke tax adjustment in 2009 worsened individual unhealthy smoking behaviors and health outcomes. The proposed cigarette tax levied at the retail level can reduce the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration’s control overall and each price and increase the influence of the market on cigarette consumption in China.

Effects of an 80% cigarette price increase on quit attempts, successful quitting and smoking intensity among Korean adult smokers: results from nationally representative longitudinal panel data

“…The large cigarette price increase affected elderly smokers most as they showed both high rates of quit attempts and successful quitting as well as a large decrease in smoking intensity after the tax hike in the adjusted model. Although the high responsiveness to cigarette taxation among Korean elderly smokers was observed in another study with a different nationally representative data set,10 it may seem to conflict with the generally known belief that young generations are more sensitive than old generations to a cigarette price change 26 29. A possible explanation for this may have to do partly with differences in the sample and outcomes between the present study and previous studies supporting the conventional belief.…”

“…Depressive symptoms and self-rated health were also included as they are related to smoking behaviour 25 26. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Korean version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D-11) which is a validated short-form of the original CES-D 27.…”