THE Philippines already ranks first in Southeast Asia in terms of taxing tobacco and alcohol as a means of discouraging smoking and binge drinking.
But the country can still do better, according to a researcher from the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU).
“There are still points for improvement because according to the World Health Organization, the recommended tax share as a percentage of retail price is around 75 percent. We are just around 56 percent,” said Ken Abante, research faculty at ADMU.
Cigarettes have proven to be “price inelastic”, meaning that people will consume them regardless of the cost, Abante noted.
While tobacco taxes are already high, the absolute price remains low.
“Single stick sales or tingi-tingi make tobacco use very attractive to many people,” he noted.
While a pack of cigarettes may cost P100, this is just P5 if purchased per stick, which makes it very affordable to many.
He added that the use of e-cigarettes has also risen among the youth, with 14 percent of students 13 to 15 years old now vaping. (ABS-CBN News)
