The findings of the study show that, taxing harmful products enhances population health both in the short-run and long-run periods.

The findings are important for policymakers, specifically in Africa as they can use taxation on harmful products to improve population health even beyond deaths related to the consumption of these products.

Author

Mustapha Immurana, Abdul-Aziz Iddrisu and Micheal Kofi Boachie

Citation

Immurana, M., Iddrisu, A. & Boachie, M.K. Does taxation on harmful products influence population health? Evidence from Africa using the dynamic panel system GMM approach. Qual Quant (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-020-01043-0


Source
Quality & Quantity
Release date
29/09/2020

Does Taxation on Harmful Products Influence Population Health? Evidence From Africa Using the Dynamic Panel System GMM Approach

Abstract

Introduction

Products such as tobacco and alcohol are known to be deleterious to human health. Tobacco use for instance, causes over eight million deaths annually worldwide. This has necessitated the imposition of taxes on such harmful products aimed at reducing their demand and hence ensure enhanced population health. However, while the effects of such taxes on deaths related to the consumption of these products have been given much attention, very little attention has been given to how these taxes enhance overall population health beyond these related deaths. products.

Method

Using tobacco tax as a proxy for taxation on harmful products and life expectancy as a proxy for overall population health, this study, examines the effect of taxing harmful products on population health in 38 African countries from 2008–2018. The system Generalized Methods of Moments (GMM) regression is employed as the empirical estimation technique.

Findings

The findings of the study show that, taxing harmful products enhances population health both in the short-run and long-run periods.

Implication

The implication is that, governments, especially those in Africa, can use taxation on harmful products to improve population health even beyond deaths related to the consumption of these products.


Source Website: Springer