The effects of price and smoking risk information on the demand for tobacco in Taiwan: an empirical study

Authors: Lee, Jie-Min¹; Chen, Sheng-Hong²

Source: Applied Economics, Volume 40, Number 13, July 2008 , pp. 1757-1767(11)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

This study evaluates the effects of a cigarette price increase and smoking risk information on tobacco consumption in Taiwan. Tobacco price, expenditure and an index of smoking risk information for Taiwan were introduced into a Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) demand model to estimate several cigarette demand elasticity coefficients. According to this model, increasing the cigarette price is a more effective means of reducing cigarette consumption than disseminating more risk information. In addition, we found that a price rise of NT$5 per cigarette pack would cause a reduction in the consumption of domestic and imported cigarettes of 3.23 and 4.86 packs per capita, respectively. Total per capita consumption of cigarettes would be reduced annually by 8.09 packs (7.56%). Despite this reduction in cigarette consumption, the increase in cigarette price would at the same time lead to a significant net increase in tax revenue to the Taiwan government.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00036840600905142

Affiliations: 1: Department of Logistics Management, National Kaohsiung Marine University, Taiwan, ROC 2: Department of Finance, Nan-Hua University, Chiayi

Publication date: 2008-07-01

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