Fiscal and Public Health Impact of a Change in Tobacco Excise Taxes in Ghana

Cigarettes have generally become less affordable over time in developed economies, with increased taxes and low income growth, but more affordable in developing countries, where there have been minimal changes in taxes (Chaloupka et al. 2019). Studies by the WHO suggest that 80% of the world’s smokers live in low- and middleincome countries (LMICs), and that by 2030 more than 80% of those dying from tobacco-related diseases will be from those countries (Ho et. al. 2018). In Ghana, more than 5,000 people are killed by tobacco-caused diseases every year (Tobacco Atlas 2018). Recent estimates show that more than 5,000 children (10-14 years old) and 804,000 adults (15+ years old) in Ghana use tobacco every day (Tobacco Atlas 2018). This is a Summary of ATAP Working Paper 20 by Ama Pokuaa Fenny, Aba Obrumah Crentsil, Christian Kwaku Osei and Felix Ankomah Asante