Cigarette sales in Pakistan dropped 18 percent following a price hike, reports The Nation citing a recent survey from Islamabad’s Centre for Research and Dialogue (CRD).
Pakistan’s total consumption, which includes taxed, smuggled and untaxed products, ranges from 72 billion sticks to 80 billion sticks annually.
“Pakistan has a long way to go in tobacco taxation,” said Maryam Gul Tahir, director of the CRD, noting that Pakistan has some of the world’s cheapest cigarettes. “Public health must be prioritized over industry interests.”
The World Bank recommends a uniform tax structure for all tobacco products to reduce consumption further and increase government revenue.