Few people today doubt that smoking is bad. But many, including seasoned policy makers, do not realize just how bad it is. Bad for people, bad for economies, and bad for poverty reduction.

In fact, tobacco use not only kills millions of people each year but places a staggering poverty and economic burden on low-income families and less-developed countries that is deepening inequalities between and within countries.

In a new report, Tobacco Tax Reform: At the Crossroads of Health and Development, prepared in collaboration with a multisectoral team from different institutions, we show that by implementing tobacco tax policy reforms now, policy makers can choose a fast road to healthier, more prosperous societies.

Indeed, country evidence indicates that higher tobacco tax rates could save millions of lives and boost public resources for development investment.

Tobacco taxation remains one of the world’s least-used tobacco control measures.