Globally more than 7 million deaths ayear are attributed to tobacco use, approximately 10 percentof which are among nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke.Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-incomecountries (LMICs), and among a relatively young population.If current smoking patterns continue, tobacco will killabout one billion people this century. Tobacco taxes areamong the most cost-effective tobacco control measures inthe world. Yet often countries are reluctant to raisetobacco taxes due to their perceived regressivity. Thisstudy simulates the impact of higher tobacco pricesresulting from increases in tobacco excise tax in the KyrgyzRepublic. The study uses extended cost-effectivenessanalysis to measure the distributional consequences ofproposed excise tax increases on: (a) averted prematuretobacco-related deaths; (b) averted out-of-pocket (OOP)expenditures on treating tobacco-related disease; (c)government savings resulting from averted treatment costsfor those covered under the State Guaranteed BenefitPackage; and (d) averted poverty cases as a result of OOPspending. The Kyrgyz Republic has already introduced gradualtobacco tax increases that will take place up to 2022, butsteps should be taken to ensure that these increases resultin real price increases and to strengthen other tobaccocontrol measures such as ensuring access to cessation services.
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