When Cigarette Sales Suddenly Become Illegal: Evidence From an Online Survey of South African Smokers During COVID-19 Lockdown.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Despite high levels of illicit trade in the tobacco market, the South African government banned the sale of tobacco products in March 2020 as part of its COVID-19 response. The ban lasted five months. We assess how the ban affected the cigarette market for a sample of smokers by comparing the price, consumption, and competitive landscapes before (March), during (May and June), and after (September) the ban.

Methods

We conducted three online surveys of cigarette smokers, asking about smoking behavior before, during, and after the ban. We use descriptive statistics and OLS regressions to estimate the impact of the ban on the South African cigarette market, focusing on the price of cigarettes.

Results

Most smokers continued smoking despite the sales ban. Dur

SUBMITTER: van der Zee K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9383820 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature