Grossman M, Chaloupka F J
Public Health Rep. 1997 Jul-Aug;112(4):290-7.
Teenage cigarette smoking is sensitive to the price of cigarettes. The most recent research suggests that a 10% increase in price would reduce the number of teenagers who smoke by 7%. If the proposed 43-cent hike in the Federal excise tax rate on cigarettes contained in the Hatch-Kennedy Bill were enacted, the number of teenage smokers would fall by approximately 16%. This translates into more than 2.6 million fewer smokers and more than 850,000 fewer smoking-related premature deaths in the current cohort of 0 to 17-year-olds. Adjusted for inflation, the current 24-cent-a-pack tax costs the buyer about half of the original cigarette tax of 8 cents imposed in 1951. A substantial tax hike would curb youth smoking; this strategy should move to the forefront of the antismoking campaign.
青少年吸烟对香烟价格很敏感。最新研究表明，价格上涨10%会使青少年吸烟人数减少7%。如果哈奇-肯尼迪法案中提议的将联邦香烟消费税税率提高43美分得以实施，青少年吸烟人数将减少约16%。这意味着在当前0至17岁的人群中，吸烟者减少超过260万，与吸烟相关的过早死亡减少超过85万。按通货膨胀调整后，目前每包24美分的税收，对购买者来说大约是1951年最初8美分香烟税的一半。大幅提高税收将抑制青少年吸烟；这一策略应成为反吸烟运动的首要举措。
