Study Forum

This article seeks to gain insight into how rising cigarette prices resulting from a 2009 health and tobacco tax affect the behavior of adolescents in Taiwan who smoke smuggled cigarettes. We find there is a high probability that adolescent smokers (especially those between the ages of 12 and 15) who are considering smoking less or thinking about quitting altogether will purchase illicit cigarettes frequently. Consequently, it is critical that government policymakers understand adolescents’ attitudes, behaviors, and opinions regarding their cigarette-buying decisions and that they create smoking prevention measures that effectively target this segment of the population.