PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Rajeev Cherukupalli
TI  - Korea's 2015 cigarette tax increases
AID  - 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-052104
DP  - 2016 Mar 01
TA  - Tobacco Control
PG  - 123--124
VI  - 25
IP  - 2
4099  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/25/2/123.short
4100  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/25/2/123.full
SO  - Tob Control2016 Mar 01; 25
AB  - South Korea increased tobacco taxes in 2015 after a 10-year gap. This commentary suggests two lessons for public finance practitioners. Substantive tax increases are crucial to reducing tobacco use; particularly where prices are demonstrably lower and prevalence higher in comparison to other countries ranked similarly on economic development indicators. Second, as a rule of thumb, governments cannot afford to neglect the annual increases that ensure that tobacco taxes do not lose their efficacy over time.