Health Experts Want Tobacco Tax Increased

Health experts in Cambodia want taboo tax to be increased so that the money can be used to expand healthcare benefits for the public at large. The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, the World Health Organization and the Cambodia Movement for Health made the call. They highlighted that 1.68 million adults smoke cigarettes, while about 500,00 chew tobacco. The experts brought to the fore that tobacco consumption among youth has increased.

The Executive Director of SEATCA, Ulysses Dorotheo said Cambodia's tobacco tax rate of between 25 and 30 per cent is still among the lowest in the region. "Tobacco tax policies have been strengthened in recent years, but they have not yet been used to their full potential to discourage tobacco consumption and raise government revenues for social development programmes." WHO representative also says that the revenue from tobacco tax should be used to help the social and health sectors.