As countries and global partners commemorate World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2014, WHO is calling on countries to raise taxes on tobacco so as to encourage users to stop, to prevent youth from initiation and other people from becoming addicted to tobacco.
According to the WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, “Raising taxes on tobacco is the most effective way to reduce use and save lives,”. The DG adds that “Determined action on tobacco tax policy hits the industry where it hurts.”
WHO 2012 data estimates that by increasing tobacco taxes by 50%, all countries would reduce the number of smokers by 49 million within the next 3 years and ultimately save 11 million lives. http://www.who.int/campaigns/no-tobacco-day/2014/en/