Tobacco Control

Abstract

The note looks at tobacco from the health perspective, and at how to reduce its use, since smoking is becoming the single biggest cause of death worldwide, particularly affecting the developing countries, where most of the world's smokers live. It thus looks at the correlation between smoking and poverty, stating smoking prevalence tends to be higher among men with less education, and with lower incomes, hence bearing greater health risks. Because of the highly addictive factor of nicotine, smoking initiation should be discouraged, persuading particularly the young, in an aim to reduce disease, and death resulting from tobacco use. Towards this effort, the World Health Organization, the Bank, and other agencies are becoming partners to improve health, and to this end, an International Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is being negotiated, while further efforts are led by nongovernmental organizations, and nationally particularly as taxation is the most effective way to reduce tobacco use. The note also outlines evidence that results are best achieved within comprehensive measures to reduce tobacco use; that job losses in tobacco farming, and manufacturing, are to be offset by jobs in other sectors, responsive to changed expenditure patterns; and, that while most measures to reduce tobacco supply are ineffective, smuggling control is however, the key supply-side measure to pursue. [Revised February 2011]