Cuba's Smoking Subsidy Ends

As the world moves towards a tobacco free environment Cuba recently introduced a policy shift that will affect all Cubans born before 1956. These are people over the age of 54. As part of the government cigarette subsidy policy these particular Cubans had enjoyed 4 packs of cigarettes each month for only 16 cents compared to 32 cents per pack as obtaining in state stores.

This policy clearly gave millions of people, 2.5 million in total, access to cigarettes and actually encouraged people to keep and start smoking. Almost half of the Cuban population smokes. The Cuban government has noted that cigarettes are not a primary necessity and is implementing this new policy as a move to modernize the Cuban economy. The real motive behind the abandonment of cigarette rations is to cut government expenditure.

To the dismay of many anti-tobacco campaigners, there appears to be no direct reference to health issues in this decision to cut back on cigarette rations. Today the primary reason why governments are moving to eliminate tobacco use is embedded in the fear of the dangers of tobacco smoking and its unbearable cost on the economy as a whole. Due to tobacco associated diseases the cost on health system of any country were millions of people smoke will soon become apparent. For example, the UK spends up to 2 billion dollars each year on anti-tobacco initiatives including tobacco related treatments.

In terms of the cost of smoking on the economy this move is unlikely to have any huge impact unless the government of Cuba like other governments begins to implement ant-tobacco regulations. This again looks unlikely. The reason is not to difficult to find. Cuba is an important tobacco and cigar producer and boasts one of the world's highest per-capita rates of smokers. Up to 6000 Cubans die each year from smoking related illness.

To begin with, tobacco in Cuba is not as heavily taxed as other countries. The United Nations through the World Health Organization under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) notes with emphasis the role of taxes in discouraging tobacco use. The high cost of tobacco is the second most popular reason why people quit smoking after the fear of the diseases such as cancer associated with smoking. In fact Japan is on record as having managed to significantly cut tobacco use through the use of stinging taxes.

In conclusion what has happened in Cuba is no cause for celebration for those after total tobacco eradication. Cuba still has a long way to go and the the start should be the conscious decision to start thinking about the health hazards on tobacco in an economy that is attempting to modernize. However the achievements of 2005 were the government banned smoking in public places are a good starting point in a long protracted attempt to eliminate tobacco use at mass scale in the country.

Learn more about dangers of smoking by going to a dedicated quit smoking resource center.