Public health measures to reduce smoking will founder unless policymakers take steps to curb the profitability of the big tobacco manufacturers, according to a report.
Researchers at the universities of Bath and Ottawa argue that progress on cutting smoking levels is being held back by the aggressive way in which a few large public companies fight to protect their profits.
They suggest that governments should take a lead from the way other industries have been persuaded to shift towards less harmful products, citing the example of the switch from leaded to unleaded petrol. Their report suggests “a range of carrot-and-stick incentives” to encourage manufacturers to put more resources behind the development of lower-risk products, including duty differentials, tax credits and price controls.
By curbing profits