Higher price, fewer packs: evaluating a tobacco tax increase with cigarette sales data

Am J Public Health. 2015 Mar;105(3):e5-8. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302438. Epub 2015 Jan 20.

Abstract

In 2013, Minnesota increased cigarette taxes by $1.75, the largest US state increase since 2000. We obtained convenience store data of cigarette sales from January 2012 to December 2013 from the Nielsen Company. Analysis revealed significantly greater year-to-year reductions in numbers of packs purchased during posttax (-12.1%) than pretax (-3.2%; P<.001) periods. The results provide contemporary evidence that, despite reduced prevalence and increased tobacco control efforts, tax increases remain an effective tobacco control strategy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Commerce / economics*
  • Commerce / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Minnesota
  • Smoking / economics*
  • Smoking Prevention
  • Taxes / economics*
  • Tobacco Products / economics*
  • Tobacco Products / statistics & numerical data
  • Wisconsin