In Laos, health officials are urging the government to raise cigarette prices.

To lower the number of smokers in Laos, health officials have requested the government to raise the price of cigarettes by 10 percent.

According to KPL, authorities predict that if tobacco costs rise by ten percent, the national smoking rate will drop by five percent.

Dr. Sanong Thongsana, the Deputy Minister of Health, said during a recent National Assembly session that raising cigarette taxes is one of the most efficient ways to discourage smoking since it has no influence on production but helps lower the number of smokers.

"Laos has the lowest tobacco tax rate in ASEAN, at just 18.8%, whereas Cambodia has a tax rate of 25-30%, Vietnam has a tax rate of 36%, and the rest of ASEAN has a rate of 60-80 percent, making tobacco control more effective than in Laos," said Deputy Minister Sanong.

"Cigarette taxes must be increased on a regular basis in accordance with socioeconomic growth, purchasing power, inflation, and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control," he stated.

"To ensure transparency, the Ministry of Health will manage and administer the Tobacco Control Fund under the supervision of the National Tobacco Control Committee, with 37% of the funds going to tobacco-related activities, 32% to national health insurance, 25% to improving health services, and 6% to administrative tasks," Dr. Sanong Thongsana added.

Smokers have grown in Laos from 25% of the population in 2012 to 27.9% in 2015. This is due to the low relative cost of smoking.

According to health experts, some 6,700 individuals die each year from smoking-related ailments, with e-cigarette usage among teenagers on the rise.

Lung cancer, atherosclerosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are all on the rise among smokers, costing the country around LAK 28 billion per year in treatment.

Credit Source: The Laotian Times

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