The Construction of Illicit Tobacco Trade Index
Tobacco smoking costs the lives of at least eight million people annually, and is compounded by the presence of Illicit Tobacco Trade (ITT).
Tobacco smoking costs the lives of at least eight million people annually, and is compounded by the presence of Illicit Tobacco Trade (ITT).
Because of the threat that cigarette smoking poses to global public health, Malaysia signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2003, ratified the treaty and also became an official party to the convention in 2005.
WHO-FCTC Guidelines encourage parties to the FCTC to eliminate the effect of promotion on the sale of tobacco products by considering standardized packaging.
Tobacco, the leading cause of some preventable deaths, imposes a heavy burden on countries in terms of public health outcomes and economic gains.
In Malaysia, addressing illicit cigarette trade has been a priority for the government, implementing necessary laws and regulations to provide solutions towards this issue.
Singapore presents a good case study of a city-state that has imposed high tobacco taxes with strict law enforcement tackling illicit tobacco trade that led to increased tobacco tax revenues, which benefits both public health objectives and the government’s economic objectives.
Despite efforts to address tobacco as the leading risk factor driving death and disability across all in the Philippines, government initiatives in countering illicit trade of the product have been said to be uncoordinated and poorly implemented.