Reprinted from Policy Analysis No. 9, Health Science Analysis Project, Chaloupka F, The impact of proposed cigarette price increases, 1998, with permission from the Advocacy Institute. The impact of proposed cigarette price increases ABSTRACT All major national tobacco legislative proposals call for significant increases in cigarette prices, up to $1.50 per pack, to be phased in over two to five years. This paper reviews the theory and evidence concerning the impact of price increases on cigarette smoking, and estimates the likely impact of the proposed increases on youth and adult smoking. It concludes that large cigarette price increases will lead to substantial reductions in cigarette smoking, particularly in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among youth. When combined with other tobacco control activities, including prevention and cessation programs, counteradvertising, and enforcement of youth access limits, even larger reductions in youth and adult smoking could be achieved. Published journal article (1.26MB PDF) Back to Top