Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Department of Health Promotion and Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Tob Control. 2023 Jan;32(1):86-92. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-056616. Epub 2021 Jun 30.
Waterpipe tobacco smoking rates in the Eastern Mediterranean region are among the highest worldwide, yet little evidence exists on its economics. Estimates of demand elasticities for tobacco products are largely limited to cigarettes. This study aimed to estimate own-price and cross-price elasticities of demand for cigarettes and waterpipe tobacco products in Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.
A volumetric choice experiment was conducted using nationally representative household surveys. The choice experiment elicited respondents' stated purchases of eight cigarette and waterpipe tobacco product varieties by hypothetically varying prices. Data were analysed using zero-inflated Poisson models that yielded demand elasticity estimates of cigarette and waterpipe tobacco consumption.
The study included 1680 participants in Lebanon (50% female), 1925 in Jordan (44.6% female) and 1679 in Palestine (50% female). We found the demand for premium cigarettes to be price elastic (range, -1.0 to -1.2) across all three countries, whereas the demand for discount cigarettes was less elastic than premium cigarettes in Lebanon (-0.6) and Jordan (-0.7) and more elastic in Palestine (-1.2). The demand for premium waterpipe tobacco was highly elastic in Lebanon (-1.9), moderately elastic in Jordan (-0.6) and inelastic in Palestine (0.2). The cross-price elasticity between cigarettes and waterpipe tobacco was near zero, suggesting that the two products are not considered to be close substitutes by consumers.
These results serve as a strong evidence base for developing and implementing fiscal policies for tobacco control in the Eastern Mediterranean region that address cigarettes and waterpipe tobacco products.
东地中海地区的水烟烟草吸烟率位居世界前列，但有关其经济状况的证据却很少。对烟草产品需求弹性的估计在很大程度上仅限于香烟。本研究旨在估计黎巴嫩、约旦和巴勒斯坦的香烟和水烟烟草产品的自价格和交叉价格需求弹性。
使用全国代表性家庭调查进行了容积选择实验。选择实验通过假设价格变化来引起受访者对八种香烟和水烟烟草产品品种的购买意向。使用零膨胀泊松模型分析数据，得出香烟和水烟烟草消费需求弹性的估计值。
本研究包括黎巴嫩的 1680 名参与者（女性占 50%）、约旦的 1925 名参与者（女性占 44.6%）和巴勒斯坦的 1679 名参与者（女性占 50%）。我们发现，所有三个国家的优质香烟需求都是有价格弹性的（范围在-1.0 到-1.2 之间），而折扣香烟的需求在黎巴嫩（-0.6）和约旦（-0.7）的弹性小于优质香烟，在巴勒斯坦的弹性较大（-1.2）。优质水烟烟草的需求在黎巴嫩高度弹性（-1.9），在约旦中度弹性（-0.6），在巴勒斯坦无弹性（0.2）。香烟和水烟烟草之间的交叉价格弹性接近零，这表明消费者认为这两种产品不是密切替代品。
这些结果为东地中海地区制定和实施针对香烟和水烟烟草产品的烟草控制财政政策提供了有力的证据基础。
