Male Smoking Reduction Behavior In Response To China’s Cigarette Tax Increase

Background The World Health Organization reported that tobacco use causes more than seven million deaths worldwide each year.China,as the world’s largest tobacco producer and consumer,has a severe tobacco control situation.The MPOWER suggested to raise cigarette taxes on tobacco has proven to be the most effective way to control tobacco use.In May 2015,China adjusted the cigarette tax,adding 6% ad valorem tax and 0.1 yuan specific excise tax for each pack at the wholesale stage.Studying the behavioral responses of smokers after rising cigarette taxes is of great significance to policy adjustments to achieve the purpose of controlling the tobacco epidemic.Objectives This study aims to evaluate Chinese male smokers’ responses to China’s 2015 6% ad valorem and 0.1 yuan specific excise tax increase per cigarettes pack.Method A male population-based cross-sectional survey with multi-staged stratified sampling was employed to collect data in six cities in China.Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the socio-demographic characteristics,smoking attitudes and behaviors of the respondents.Chi-square test was used to explore the differences in smoking attitudes and behaviors of people wit h different smoking conditions.Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of behavioral responses.Results Among a potential sample of 6500 Chinese males,6010 individuals were contacted and 5782 participants completed the questionnaires effectively.2852 men were current smokers,with a smoking rate of 49.3%.Among current smokers,76.0% were daily smokers,60.7% reported the current price of cigarettes was not very expensive,42.6% had plans to quit smoking,21.3% did not realize that cigarette prices had risen,and 26.3% reduced smoking after the tax increase.Compared with occasional smokers,daily smokers bought cigarettes at a lower price(p<0.001),and believed that the current price of cigarettes was more expensive(p<0.05),and the awareness rate of tobacco tax policies is higher(p<0.05).Occasionally smokers were more inclined to quit smoking(p<0.001)and reduced their smoking counts more after the rise in tobacco taxes(p<0.001).It was more difficult for medical staff to reduce smoking than other occupational groups.It was more difficult for people with higher incomes,higher prices to buy cigarettes,more cigarettes,daily smokers and people who did not plan to quit smoking.And people who thought that the current price of cigarettes were more expensive tended to reduce smoking behavior.Conclusion More than one in five male smokers reduced their smoking behavior after the cigarette tax increase,which had a more significant impact on the smaller increase in cigarette taxes.However,China’s cigarette tax is still at a relatively low level,so it still needs to be increased to reach the level of more than 70% recommended by the World Health Organization.