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smoking
By Daniil Goldin
for
Eco 101 c
(Prof. Kalchev)
A 20-a day smoker spends about $ 1700 a year on cigarettes. People with low income
eventually spend more than the wealthier ones
Cigarettes are products with a negative income elasticity on demand (i.e an increase in
income will lead to a fall in the demand and may lead to changes to more luxurious
substitutes.)
Health costs:
About half of regular smokers will be eventually killed by their habit- e.g. through lung
cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease and coronary heart disease
Taxation of cigarettes:
Over 80% of the final retail price is tax (VAT and excise duty)
The aim of higher taxation is to in crease the real cost of purchasing and
consuming cigarettes
Higher prices should control demand by reducing the real incomes of
smokers and increasing an opportunity cost of continuing to smoke
Lower consumption rates reduces output towards the social optimumreducing the extent of market failure
Taxation is also justified on the grounds of making the polluter pay for
the external costs that are created
Extra revenue fro taxation can be used to fund improvements I health
care
The revenue from taxes could be allocated to promote alternatives to
tobacco growing and manufacturing
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