Global tobacco control funding is inadequate
The lack of funding for the global fight against the tobacco epidemic is indefensible. The 89 countries that provided estimated tobacco control budgets spend US$ 343 million per year – with 95% of this amount spent by high-income counties and nearly 90% spent by seven of these wealthy nations. In contrast, about 4% of the global total is spent by medium-income countries, and less than 1% is spent by low-income countries.
Tobacco tax revenues have significant potential to fund tobacco control activities, and the data demonstrate that there is considerable room for most countries to use currently available national resources to substantially increase tobacco control funding. A comparison of countries’ total tobacco tax revenues with their tobacco control expenses is revealing. Data compiled from 70 countries, covering two thirds of the world’s population, show that aggregate tobacco tax revenues in these countries are more than 500 times higher than expenses for tobacco control activities.
Tobacco tax revenues have significant potential to fund tobacco control activities, and the data demonstrate that there is considerable room for most countries to use currently available national resources to substantially increase tobacco control funding. A comparison of countries’ total tobacco tax revenues with their tobacco control expenses is revealing. Data compiled from 70 countries, covering two thirds of the world’s population, show that aggregate tobacco tax revenues in these countries are more than 500 times higher than expenses for tobacco control activities.
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