Smokers’ strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey
Introduction Tobacco taxation is an effective tobacco control measure because of its impact on increasing quitting and reducing consumption. Some smokers, however, may instead use price-minimising strategies, such as purchasing less-expensive brands. This study examined whether smokers’ responses to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Publishing
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Tobacco Prevention and Cessation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tobaccopreventioncessation.com/Smokers-strategies-to-reduce-tobacco-spending-after-a-major-tobacco-tax-increase,162399,0,2.html |
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| author | Cloé Geboers Math J. J. M. Candel Gera E. Nagelhout Hein de Vries Bas van den Putte Geoffrey T. Fong Marc C. Willemsen |
| author_facet | Cloé Geboers Math J. J. M. Candel Gera E. Nagelhout Hein de Vries Bas van den Putte Geoffrey T. Fong Marc C. Willemsen |
| author_sort | Cloé Geboers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction
Tobacco taxation is an effective tobacco control measure because of its impact on increasing quitting and reducing consumption. Some smokers, however, may instead use price-minimising strategies, such as purchasing less-expensive brands. This study examined whether smokers’ responses to a major tobacco tax increase differed by age, income, and education. We also examined whether price played a role in quitters’ decision to quit.
Material and Methods
Cross-sectional data was analysed from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey, conducted 6 months after a tax increase that increased prices by circa 13%. Responses to the tax increase by smokers (N=1790) were categorised as intended (reducing consumption to reduce spending) or unintended (using only price-minimising behaviours to reduce spending). We also examined whether price was reported by quitters as a reason for quitting (N=125). We used multinomial and logistic regression to examine whether responses varied by equity variables (e.g., income) and nicotine dependence.
Results
In response to the tax increases, 35.6% of smokers reduced consumption and 19.3% engaged only in price-minimising behaviours. 82.1% of quitters stated that price influenced their decision to quit. Low-income individuals were more likely to reduce consumption or quit due to price, but also to purchase less expensive brands. Highly dependent smokers were less likely to reduce consumption and more likely to use price-minimising behaviours.
Conclusions
Increasing taxation has a positive public health benefit: four out of five quitters said price influenced their decision to quit, and more than one-third of smokers reduced their consumption, with low-income smokers being more likely to reduce consumption or quit smoking, providing further evidence that increasing tobacco taxes can reduce health inequalities caused by smoking. Price-minimising strategies were most common among highly dependent smokers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:25:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab46f5e747dc4556b0f45af57b1a825f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2459-3087 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:25:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | European Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tobacco Prevention and Cessation |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab46f5e747dc4556b0f45af57b1a825f2024-01-31T10:28:09ZengEuropean PublishingTobacco Prevention and Cessation2459-30872023-04-019Supplement10.18332/tpc/162399162399Smokers’ strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands SurveyCloé Geboers0Math J. J. M. Candel1Gera E. Nagelhout2Hein de Vries3Bas van den Putte4Geoffrey T. Fong5Marc C. Willemsen6Care and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The NetherlandsCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Methodology and Statistics Maastricht University, Maastricht, The NetherlandsCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The NetherlandsCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The NetherlandsDepartment of Communication, Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaCare and Public Health Research Institute, Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The NetherlandsIntroduction Tobacco taxation is an effective tobacco control measure because of its impact on increasing quitting and reducing consumption. Some smokers, however, may instead use price-minimising strategies, such as purchasing less-expensive brands. This study examined whether smokers’ responses to a major tobacco tax increase differed by age, income, and education. We also examined whether price played a role in quitters’ decision to quit. Material and Methods Cross-sectional data was analysed from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey, conducted 6 months after a tax increase that increased prices by circa 13%. Responses to the tax increase by smokers (N=1790) were categorised as intended (reducing consumption to reduce spending) or unintended (using only price-minimising behaviours to reduce spending). We also examined whether price was reported by quitters as a reason for quitting (N=125). We used multinomial and logistic regression to examine whether responses varied by equity variables (e.g., income) and nicotine dependence. Results In response to the tax increases, 35.6% of smokers reduced consumption and 19.3% engaged only in price-minimising behaviours. 82.1% of quitters stated that price influenced their decision to quit. Low-income individuals were more likely to reduce consumption or quit due to price, but also to purchase less expensive brands. Highly dependent smokers were less likely to reduce consumption and more likely to use price-minimising behaviours. Conclusions Increasing taxation has a positive public health benefit: four out of five quitters said price influenced their decision to quit, and more than one-third of smokers reduced their consumption, with low-income smokers being more likely to reduce consumption or quit smoking, providing further evidence that increasing tobacco taxes can reduce health inequalities caused by smoking. Price-minimising strategies were most common among highly dependent smokers.https://www.tobaccopreventioncessation.com/Smokers-strategies-to-reduce-tobacco-spending-after-a-major-tobacco-tax-increase,162399,0,2.htmlsmoking strategytobaccotobacco taxation |
| spellingShingle | Cloé Geboers Math J. J. M. Candel Gera E. Nagelhout Hein de Vries Bas van den Putte Geoffrey T. Fong Marc C. Willemsen Smokers’ strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey Tobacco Prevention and Cessation smoking strategy tobacco tobacco taxation |
| title | Smokers’ strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey |
| title_full | Smokers’ strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey |
| title_fullStr | Smokers’ strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smokers’ strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey |
| title_short | Smokers’ strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase: Findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey |
| title_sort | smokers strategies to reduce tobacco spending after a major tobacco tax increase findings from the 2020 international tobacco control itc netherlands survey |
| topic | smoking strategy tobacco tobacco taxation |
| url | https://www.tobaccopreventioncessation.com/Smokers-strategies-to-reduce-tobacco-spending-after-a-major-tobacco-tax-increase,162399,0,2.html |
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