Chapter 1 - Understanding Tobacco Use in Different Countries

Understanding the economic determinants of tobacco consumption and measuring tobacco use across countries are essential to design and implement effective tobacco prevention programs. This chapter is a brief guide to some basic concepts of tobacco epidemiology and economics. Firstly, we introduce the main indicators usually employed to assess tobacco consumption in a given population. Secondly, we develop a simple demand model to illustrate how prices, consumers’ income and tastes, and tobacco control measures interact in determining the quantity consumed and the number of smokers. Finally, we use the latest estimations available to provide an overview of tobacco use worldwide.