site.btaEconomy Damages from Smoking in Bulgaria Twice Exceed Excise Duty Revenue - Expert

Economy Damages from Smoking
in Bulgaria Twice Exceed
Excise Duty Revenue - Expert


Sofia, May 30 (BTA) - Smoking brings damages to the Bulgarian economy that twice exceed the revenue from excise duty on tobacco products, economic expert Dimiter Subev said Tuesday. He was speaking at a joint news conference of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Office in Bulgaria, the Ministry of Health and the Coalition for Life without Tobacco Smoke hosted by BTA. The news conference was dedicated to World No Tobacco Day, May 31. The theme of this year's campaign is "Tobacco - a threat to development".

Subev has prepared a report on the economic effects of smoking. According to data from 2014, Bulgaria has the highest share of regular smokers in the European Union.A survey for the needs of the European Commission shows that material damages of smoking in Bulgaria amount to 165 million leva and non-material ones exceed 4,000 million leva. This is double the revenue from tobacco product excise duties, the expert said. The report has also established that the ban on smoking at closed public locations in this country does not decline the profits of restaurants and bars.

Subev also noted another trend concerning the belief that "smoking is for the poor". In rich countries and in the circles of people with the highest income smoking has become marginal. In Bulgaria, however, there is a cultural discrepancy as the highest share of smokers are among the people with the highest income.

Smoking is the greatest health hazard. It is a reason for enormous costs for the economy and exacerbates poverty, WHO Head of Office in Bulgaria said./PK/BR

/СН/