Thomson George, O'Dea Des, Wilson Nick, Edwards Richard
Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Box 7343 Wellington, New Zealand.
N Z Med J. 2010 Jan 23;123(1308):74-80.
Tobacco affordability, prices and tobacco tax rates have considerable effects on smoking uptake, consumption, and quitting. We examined the trends in New Zealand per capita tobacco consumption and real cigarette prices from 1975-2008. Since 1984, there has been a close inverse relationship between real price and per capita tobacco consumption. Thus price increases drive consumption falls. However, in the periods of 1992-1997 and 2002-2008, both price and consumption were largely stable. The stability since 2002 means other tobacco control interventions have been undercut by increased tobacco affordability (due to increased average real incomes). Furthermore, the lack of tobacco tax increases (to be used to fund better tobacco control) is against majority surveyed New Zealand public opinion, and may be contrary to even smokers' views. The great majority of smokers, who want to quit, could be assisted by more extensive programmes funded by the extra revenue from tobacco tax increases. These could include more prime-time mass media campaigns and greater Quitline capacity. Tobacco tax increases are a highly evidence-based policy that could help reduce harm to the health of New Zealanders and reduce health inequalities.
烟草的可承受性、价格和烟草税率对吸烟行为的开始、消费以及戒烟有着重大影响。我们研究了1975年至2008年新西兰人均烟草消费和实际香烟价格的趋势。自1984年以来，实际价格与人均烟草消费之间存在密切的负相关关系。因此，价格上涨促使消费下降。然而，在1992年至1997年以及2002年至2008年期间，价格和消费在很大程度上保持稳定。2002年以来的这种稳定性意味着，其他烟草控制干预措施因烟草可承受性提高（由于平均实际收入增加）而受到削弱。此外，缺乏烟草税上调（用于资助更好的烟草控制）与大多数接受调查的新西兰公众意见相悖，甚至可能与吸烟者的观点也不一致。绝大多数想要戒烟的吸烟者可以通过由烟草税上调带来的额外收入资助的更广泛项目得到帮助。这些项目可以包括更多的黄金时段大众媒体宣传活动以及扩大戒烟热线的服务能力。提高烟草税是一项有充分证据支持的政策，有助于减少对新西兰人健康的危害并减少健康不平等现象。
