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Reducing Tobacco Use Initiation: Increasing the Unit Price of Tobacco Products

These interventions increase the unit price for tobacco products through municipal, state, or federal legislation that raises the excise tax on these products. Such increases make the use of tobacco products less attractive to young people who have limited incomes and a variety of ways to spend their money.

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends interventions that increase the price of tobacco products based on strong evidence of their effectiveness in:

Task Force Finding

Results from the Systematic Reviews

Eight studies qualified for the review of this intervention.

  • Tobacco use prevalence among adolescents (13-18 years old): a median decrease of 3.7% in tobacco use for every 10% increase in product price (8 studies)
  • Tobacco consumption among adolescents: a median decrease of 2.3% in tobacco consumption for every 10% increase in product price (6 studies)
  • All of the included studies were conducted in the United States.
  • Five studies evaluated the effect of price on tobacco use for study periods that included the 1990s, and three studies reported the effect of price on tobacco use for periods before 1990.

These findings were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to tobacco use.

Supporting Materials

Publications

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Tobacco. Adobe PDF File [PDF - 3.63KB] In : Zaza S, Briss PA, Harris KW, eds. The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? Atlanta (GA): Oxford University Press;2005:3-79.

More Community Guide publications about Tobacco Use



Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the Community Preventive Services Task Force and do not necessarily represent those of CDC.

Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Reducing tobacco use initiation: increasing unit price of tobacco products. www.thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/initiation/increasingprice.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: February 1999