Differential responsiveness to cigarette price by education and income among adult urban Chinese smokers : findings from the ITC China Survey

Date

2015

Authors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

BMJ

Abstract

Background Few studies have examined the impact of tobacco tax and price policies in China. In addition, very little is known about the differential responses to tax and price increases based on socioeconomic status in China. Objective To estimate the conditional cigarette consumption price elasticity among adult urban smokers in China and to examine the differential responses to cigarette price increases among groups with different income and/or educational levels. Methods Multivariate analyses employing the general estimating equations method were conducted using the first three waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China Survey. Analyses based on subsample by education and income were conducted. Findings Conditional cigarette demand price elasticity ranges from −0.12 to −0.14. No differential responses to cigarette price increase were found across education levels. The price elasticity estimates do not differ between high-income smokers and medium-income smokers. Cigarette consumption among low-income smokers did not decrease after a price increase, at least among those who continued to smoke. Conclusions Relative to other low-income and middleincome countries, cigarette consumption among Chinese adult smokers is not very sensitive to changes in cigarette prices. The total impact of cigarette price increase would be larger if its impact on smoking initiation and cessation, as well as the price-reducing behaviours such as brand switching and trading down, were taken into account.

Description

Keywords

TOBACCO INDUSTRY, TOBACCO CONTROL, SMOKING, INCOME, CONSUMPTION TAX, PRICING, ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS, ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS, ECONOMIC BEHAVIOUR

Citation

Huang, J., Zheng, R., Chaloupka, F.J., Fong, G.T., & Jiang, Y. (2015). Differential responsiveness to cigarette price by education and income among adult urban Chinese smokers: findings from the ITC China Survey. Tobacco Control, 24, iii76-iii82. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-052091

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10625/54548
 http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2015/04/08/tobaccocontrol-2014-052091.abstract

DOI

Collections

IDRC Research Results / Résultats de recherches du CRDI
2010-2019 / Années 2010-2019
Research Results (NCDP) / Résultats de recherches (PMNT)