The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Control

This monograph, a joint effort of the U.S. National Cancer Institute and World Health Organization, examines economic issues in tobacco and tobacco control, including the supply and demand of tobacco products. This first chapter frames the issues addressed in the monograph and describes its organization around key topic areas. Each monograph chapter focuses on the global evidence on these issues, particularly the evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The closing sections of this chapter present chapter conclusions and major overall conclusions generated by the work presented here. Experts in economics, tobacco control, public policy, public health, and other related fields from every region in the world, including high-income countries and LMICs, were assembled to provide the research and analyses presented within these pages. It is hoped that this monograph will help inform the implementation of global tobacco control efforts in the 21st century.