Jump to full article: Health-E, 2009-11-13
Intro: DAR-ES-SALAAM - Taxation is the most powerful weapon governments have at their disposal to control tobacco consumption and ultimately decrease deaths, Dr Yussuf Saloojee of the National Council Against Smoking told the African Organisation for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC) conference.
South Africa showed decreases in tobacco consumption, but this was now leveling off as government ceases to drastically increase taxation on tobacco for fear of creating a market for illegal smuggling, something which Saloojee said was unfounded.
Saloojee presented evidence which showed that as the price of cigarettes goes up, consumption goes down. . . .
Lekau Ayo-Yusuf of the University of Pretoria also presented evidence that the use of non-cigarette products such as snus was increasing with big tobacco companies Philip Morris and Swedish Match selling these products in Africa. Snus is a moist powder tobacco product that is consumed by placing it under the lip for extended periods of time.
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