Tax revenue lost due to illicit cigarettes in South Africa: 2002-2022.

Objective: To estimate lost excise and value-added tax (VAT) revenue as a result of illicit cigarette trade from 2002 to 2022.

Design: Using gap analysis, we estimated the number of illicit cigarettes by calculating the difference between the number of self-reported cigarettes (derived from nationally representative surveys) and the number of legal (tax-paid) cigarettes (derived from government sources) from 2002 to 2022. We then calculated the excise and VAT revenue that the government lost through illicit trade, taking into account that some people would have quit or reduced their consumption if cigarette prices had been higher (ie, tax paid).

A Media Analysis of the COVID-19 Tobacco Sales Ban in South Africa.

The South African government introduced a nationwide lockdown in March 2020 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Among other restrictions, the government banned the sale of tobacco products. The ban lasted for nearly five months.

The impact of cigarette prices on smoking onset and cessation: evidence from Vietnam.

Background: Vietnam is a country with very high smoking rates among men. According to a Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted in 2015, the daily smoking prevalence among Vietnamese men was 39%.

Methods: We used data from the 2010 and 2015 Vietnamese GATSs and cigarette price data from General Statistics Office of Vietnam.

Measuring the illicit cigarette market in the absence of pack security features: a case study of South Africa.

There are several ways to measure the illicit cigarette market. In South Africa, different methods were used to triangulate results. The aim of this paper is to assist researchers to decide which method is most suitable to their context, especially for countries that do not have security features on cigarette packs (eg, tax stamps).

Dataset on cigarette smokers in six South African townships.

A total of 2453 smokers were interviewed in townships over two rounds of data collection. Townships are low-income, urban areas characterised by overpopulation, poor service delivery, crime, and poor socioeconomic outcomes. Township residents typically live in poverty.

The illicit cigarette market in six South African townships.

Background: We estimate the size of the illicit cigarette market in low socioeconomic areas in South Africa before and after a tax increase. In 2018, the real excise tax increased by 3% and the value-added tax (VAT) rate increased from 14% to 15%. Thus, the real tax on cigarettes increased by 4%.

Illicit cigarette trade in South Africa: 2002-2017.

Background: Increasing cigarette excise taxes is widely recognised as the most effective measure to reduce the demand for cigarettes. The presence of illicit trade undermines the effectiveness of tax increases as both a public health and a fiscal measure, because it introduces cheaper alternatives to legal, full-priced cigarettes.

Objective: To assess trends in the size of the illicit cigarette market in South Africa from 2002 to 2017 using gap analysis.

Impact of tax increases on illicit cigarette trade in Mongolia.

Background: The Mongolian government increased import tobacco tax by 30% in May 2017 and excise tobacco tax by 10% in January 2018. To assess the impact of these tax increases on illicit cigarette trade, we estimate illicit trade before and after tax increases.

Methods: Discarded cigarette packs were collected in the capital city and in two provinces near China, the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan.

Trends in cigarette demand and supply in Africa.

Background: Since the tobacco epidemic is moving from developed to developing countries, it is important to understand trends in cigarette demand and supply. We focus on the African market since it offers the tobacco industry one of the best expansion potentials.

Data: A large variety of data from commercial (Canadean, Euromonitor International, tobacco industry reports), governmental (United Nations Comtrade, national statistics), and academic sources (Cigarette Citadels Map and journal articles) were utilized.

The Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Its Impact on a Child's Classroom Performance: A Case Study of a Rural South African School.

Alcohol consumption is high among farm labourers in the Western and Northern Cape of South Africa. Excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy is common, resulting in a high prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) among children. FAS causes intellectual and behavioural problems, which create considerable obstacles to a child's education.

Determinants of regular smoking onset in South Africa using duration analysis.

Objectives: South Africa has achieved significant success with its tobacco control policy. Between 1994 and 2012, the real price of cigarettes increased by 229%, while regular smoking prevalence decreased from about 31% to 18.2%.

Waterpipe and Cigarette Smoking among University Students in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Objective: Cigarette smoking in South Africa decreased sharply since the early 1990s. Waterpipe smoking increased, especially among students. We estimate the prevalence of waterpipe and cigarette smoking and associated characteristics among university students in the Western Cape.

A closer look at 'Cheap White' cigarettes.

Background: Given the prominence of Cheap Whites in illicit tobacco discussions, we examined various definitions, market presence, brand proliferation, manufacturers, production locations, trademark ownership, prices and compliance with tax stamp and warning labels.

Methods: Data from peer-reviewed and grey literature, newspapers, trademark registries, governments/international organisation reports, and the tobacco industry were contrasted with two visual legal requirements (tax stamps and warning labels) and prices from the Tobacco Pack Surveillance System (TPackSS).

Results: Multiple sources identified 82 Cheap White brands and 53 manufacturers operating at least 82 production facilities.