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Just over ten years ago, Poland was at the onset of a complete socio-economic transformation and eagerly welcomed foreign investment from various industries. The tobacco industry was among the many to enter. In 1991, large tobacco multinationals set foot into Poland’s domestic tobacco market, bringing billions of attractively packaged foreign cigarettes and aggressive cigarette marketing and advertising techniques with them. At the same time, relatively low prices of cigarettes combined with large influxes of diversified tobacco products sharpened cigarette use among Poles. By 1995, a strengthening group of national tobacco control advocates, conscious of the negative consequences of the growing tobacco epidemic, successfully pushed the first Tobacco Control Law through Parliament. This first step in tobacco control imposed restrictions on: a). tobacco sales (total ban on the production and sale of smokeless tobacco, the use of vending machines, the individual sale of cigarettes and other tobacco to minors under the age of 18), b). smoking in public places (permitted only in specially designated areas in workplaces, public buildings and restaurant, ban on smoking in public transport, educational and health-care facilities) and c), tobacco advertising (banned in public places, radio, television and youth-oriented publications). Since 1995, the law has been amended almost annually, expanding the range of active tobacco regulations in Poland. These additional amendments have mandated: a). the introduction of health warning labels on advertisements (covering at least twenty percent of the top of its surface area) and cigarette packages (covering at least thirty percent of surface area on the pack’s two largest sides), b). a gradual reduction in allowable levels of tar and nicotine in cigarettes (from 20 to 15 mg of tar per cigarette and from 1.8 to 1.5 mg of nicotine per stick), c). a further ban on smoking in cinemas, the theatre and on domestic flights, d). prohibition of cigarette advertisements which depict persons under the age of 25, e). a ban on tobacco company promotional activities including sponsorship of political and social events; and f). a total ban on tobacco advertising to take complete effect over the course of two years (a complete ban on street level advertising in year one, followed by a complete ban on all printed media advertising). Tobacco control advocates and the Ministry of Health have also motivated the Ministry of Finance to propose a series of new tobacco excise tax systems in Poland. Beginning in 1993, the government reformed its tax policy to incorporate both excise taxes and value added taxes (VAT) on all final tobacco products. Both taxes were mposed on all foreign cigarettes as well as three categories of domestic cigarettes: filter cigarettes under 80 mm in length, unfiltered cigarettes under 80 mm in length and king size filter cigarettes over 80 mm in length. Significant tax hikes took place in 1999 (January, March, June, October) and 2000 (January, June, October). As a result, excise taxes were increased by a total of 27% in 1999 and 28% in 2000. Also in June 2000, the tax system was restructured again to include an ad valorem tax (25% of the maximum retail price) and a fixed tax (a per unit tax fixed for each trimester levied on all cigarettes regardless of origin or size). Within a relatively short period of time, these tobacco control efforts have helped bring about a significant decrease in smoking prevalence among males (from 52% in 1992 to 39% in 1998) and females (30% in 1992 to 19% in 1998). The number of ex-smokers has also increased among males (from 10% in the mid-1980’s to 20% in 1998) and females (from 3% in the mid-1980’s to 10% in 1998). These changes in smoking behavior have also led to observable improvements in health. The average life expectancy of males has increased by two years to 69 years of age. Poland’s current tobacco policies remain challenged by the goal to bring the entire country into compliance with current tobacco regulations. A second challenge is to identify and correct gaps in existing policies. Both will require scientific evidence to support arguments for further changes and improvement in policy. In
the end, Poland provides an exemplary approach to efficient and effective
tobacco policy change for all developing countries, and particularly for
the Post-Stalinist countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the former
USSR. These societies will find the case of Poland’s tobacco control
program directly relevant to their own progress in tobacco control. |
