Tobacco taxation
Project Name: Accelerating Progress on Tobacco Taxes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Project type: International Scientific Research Project Lead: University of Illinois at Chicago Project
Funder: Bloomberg Foundation, through the University of Illinois at Chicago
Project Manager: Angela Pepić
Project Team: Prof. Dragan Gligorić - Lead Researcher Assoc.
Prof. Zoran Borović - Researcher
Nikola Vidović - Junior Researcher
Vladana Ritan - Junior Researcher
Project Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2023
Project Value: 68,009 USD
The aim of the project is to build and strengthen the capacity of research institutions, including the Faculty of Economics at UNIBL, to conduct high-quality economic research on the socioeconomic impact of tobacco taxation and to support policy dialogue by disseminating research findings.
Bosnia and Herzegovina faces one of the highest smoking prevalence rates in the world. Before the start of the research team's work at the University of Banja Luka, there was very limited literature on the socioeconomic impact of smoking and tobacco taxation in the country. The current project is a continuation of activities that have been ongoing since 2018 when researchers from the University of Banja Luka first joined a larger project implemented by the University of Illinois at Chicago with the aim of accelerating progress in tobacco taxation in low- and middle-income countries.
The project for 2023 focuses on tobacco use among youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the role of tax policy and its impact on:
- Initiation of smoking among youth
- Prevalence of smoking among youth
The research relies on the World Health Organization's "Global Youth Tobacco Surveys (GYTS)" conducted multiple times in BiH, and it combines the survey data with information on cigarette prices and the prevailing tax policy on tobacco and tobacco products. Through the research, the project aims to draw conclusions on:
- The impact of cigarette price increases on the decision to start smoking among youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Assessing the impact of tobacco taxation on public revenue and public health in BiH
In addition to research leading to scientific publications on this topic, the project includes activities aimed at disseminating research findings to the wider public and stakeholders in the country. This includes organizing various events such as workshops and roundtable discussions and achieving media presence in traditional and digital media. The project will also contribute to strengthening the research capacity of the staff at the University of Banja Luka through collaboration with experts from the University of Illinois and relevant international partners on this project.
Previous project publications are available at: Tobacco Taxation | Institute of Economic Sciences