WHO’s new technical manual on tobacco tax policy and administration shows countries ways to cut down on over $1.4 trillion in health expenditures and lost productivity due to tobacco use worldwide.

It explained that improved tobacco taxation policies could also be a key component of building back better after COVID-19, where countries need additional resources to respond and to finance health system recovery.

“We launched this new manual to provide updated, clear, and practical guidance for policymakers, finance officials, tax authorities, customs officials, and others involved in tobacco tax policy to create and implement the strongest tobacco taxation policies for their specific countries,” said Jeremias Paul Jr, Unit Head for the Fiscal Policies for Health team in the Health Promotion Department at WHO.

“We hope this document sheds light on the significant advantages to raising tobacco taxation. The data and insights provided here should be an eye-opener for policymakers worldwide,” he added.

According to the WHO, the ‘best buy’ highlighted in the manual not only saves money but saves lives. 

The human and economic costs of tobacco are rising as eight million people died because of tobacco last year.

In 2018 only 38 countries, covering 14 per cent of the global population, had sufficiently high tobacco taxes – which means taxing at least 75 per cent of the price of the health-harming products. 

By implementing proven policies like tobacco taxes, the tobacco industry’s costs to local communities and nations could be avoidable, said the UN organisation, saying it is a win for population health, revenue, and development and equity.

“Tobacco taxes save lives, mobilise resources, address health inequities, reduce health system burdens and costs, and target non-communicable risk factors for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” the WHO noted.