A study from the United States reveals a significant correlation between cigarette price hike and various indicators on smoking behavior, including smoking cessation.

The 10-year long cohort study, which involved 632 smokers with a mean age of 58 years old at the baseline, was conducted between 2001 and 2012. Research results showed that cigarette prices were associated with various patterns of smoking, including current smoking, heavy smoking (i.e. consuming more than 10 cigarettes per day), smoking cessation and average daily cigarette consumption.

When cigarette price increased by US$1, a 3% reduction in current smoking, a 7% reduction in heavy smoking, and a 35% reduction in average number of daily cigarette consumption were resulted, alongside with a 20% increase in likelihood of smoking cessation. The research results suggested that price increase is particularly helpful in motivating older smokers, who are having higher nicotine dependence and lower quit intention. In addition, the study reflects the pricing effect on change of smoking behavior, as smokers are price-sensitive.

The study results echo with the recommendation of World Health Organization (WHO) that raising tobacco tax is the single most effective measure to reduce tobacco use and encourage smoking cessation. Some countries, like Australia and New Zealand, raise tobacco tax every year to set off against inflation. However, tobacco tax has been frozen for years in Hong Kong. The Government should raise tobacco tax and to formulate a long-term and continuous policy on raising tobacco tax as soon as possible so as to maintain the pricing effect.

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