Editor’s Note: Cross-posted from the Counterfeit Cigarette Study Forum.
The National Cancer Institute, in conjunction with the World Health Organization, has published a monograph, The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Control that is available here. (16+MB) The monograph emphasizes that effective tobacco control requires that governments take steps to,
- Reduce the (illicit) commercial availability of tobacco to youth.
Thus, interventions that effectively restrict youth access to commercial sources can also decrease the social exchange of tobacco by disrupting the supply chain and reducing the total supply of tobacco available to youth.
- In order to reduce youth access to tobacco, governments need to—and can—cut the flow of illicit tobacco.
Government commitment to combating illicit trade is essential. Successful strategies include implementing tracking and tracing systems; controlling the supply chain by licensing all parties involved in tobacco product manufacturing and distribution; implementing appropriate policies, stronger enforcement, and enhanced penalties; and international cooperation in investigation and prosecution of participants in illicit trade.
