Depatiment of Health and Human Setices 

OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

SP~ TOBACCO AND YOUTH: 

ADDmONW ANALYSIS 
Department of Health and Human Services 

OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENEML 

SPIT TOBACCO AND YOUTH: 

ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS 

JUNE 1993 0131-06-92-00501 
TABLE OF CONTENTS


PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...1 

FINDINGS 

Disparity between tax on spit tobacco and cigarettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Likelihood of higher prices discouraging use of 

tobacco products byyouth . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...2 

Substantial Federal revenues from higher taxmte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..4 

EXCISE TAX CALCUMTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Option 1: Tax comparable to current Federal cigarette tax 

Option 2A Tax comparable to $1 per pack cigarette tax 

0ption2B: Tax comparable to $2 per pack cigarette tax 

0ption3: Tax comparable to State tax onspit tobacco 

0ption4: Tax comparable to Canadian tax on spit tobacco 
SPIT TOBACCO AND YOUTH: ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS 

OEI 06-92-00501 

Purpose 

To describe the potential impact of raising the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco in 

discouraging use of these dangerous products by youth and in raising substantial Federal 

revenues for health care. 

Background 

In December 1992, the Office of Inspector General released “Spit Tobacco and Youth” 

(OEI 06-92-00500), a report describing the present status of youth use of spit tobacco 

(moist snuff and chewing tobacco). The Surgeon General, in official comments, 

characterized spit tobacco use as an epidemic of oral cancer in the making if young people 

continue to use this dangerous product. Specifically, the report found that currently, after 

great increases in use since 1970, nearly 1 in 5 high school males use spit tobacco. IGites 

for some States, localities or ethnic groups are even higher. In addition, spit tobacco 

contains carcinogenic and addictive substances that, in the long run, assure continuous use 

of spit or smoked tobacco, and greatly increased risk for cancer and other diseases. The 

report strongly urged the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Trade 

Commission and the Department of the Treasury to re-examine national tobacco control 

policy, including higher excise taxes, indexed for inflation, on spit tobacco. TM 

supplemental report provides additional analysis to assist in evaluating those 

recommendations. 

Findings 

Zhe Fedend excise tax on spit tobacco is diqmpotinately low compared to the 

cigarette tar. 

The Federal excise tax on spit tobacco is a fraction of Federal rates on cigarettes or of 

State rates on spit tobacco. The 1993 Federal excise taxis 2.8c per 1.2 ounce tin of snuff 

and 2.4C per 3 ounce pouch of chewing tobacco. This Federal tax rate is approximately 

1.1% of the estimated average retail price for these products. In contrast, the 24GFederal 

excise tax on cigarettes is En timq the spit tobacco rate, i.e., 24Gon a pack of cigarettes 

is 11% of the estimated average retail price. Using rates from the 32 States which 

currently have spit tobacco excise taxes, we estimated a mean State tax rate of 25% of the 

wholesale price. Again, the Federal excise tax is only 1.7% of the estimated wholesale 

price. 

By way of contrast, average State taxes on spit tobacco and cigarettes are comparable. 
Raising spit tobacco ptices through excise taxes is a premising strutegyfor discoumging 

youth use. 

Our survey and other research show that raising the price of spit tobacco through 

increased excise taxes holds significant promise for discouraging use of dangerous spit 

tobacco products by youth. In our recent study, 44 percent of the 1992 young spit 

tobacco users claimed they would stop using spit tobacco if the price increased a lot. The 

existing research indicates that for the adult population, a tobacco product such as 

cigarettes has a price elasticity of demand of approximately -0.4, meaning that a 10 

percent increase in price reduces the quantity of cigarettes demanded by 4 percent.1 

However, for young people the price elasticity of demand is even greater at approximately 

-1.44 (or a 14.4% decrease in consumption for a 10% increase in price)? This indicates 

that any price increases associated with increased excise taxes would result in much 

greater decreases in demand for tobacco products by this population. This price 

sensitivity by young people would significantly decrease the number of current and 

potential new users of tobacco products in the long run. Therefore, raising Federal excise 

taxes on spit tobacco products is a very powerfid health promotion strategy. 

Since the majority of youth start spit tobacco use before the age of 12, an increase in the 

Federal excise tax would deter future use of this dangerous product in subsequent 

generations, helping to avert the epidemic of oral cancer many researchers fear. 

SubstuntiizlFedend revenues - hundreds of miilions - can be realized annually by 

increasing the excike tax on spit tobacco. 

As implied by the first finding, several logical and viable options exist for increasing 

Federal excise taxes on spit tobacco. Depending upon the approach used, we estimate 

Federal revenues ranging from $221 million to $2 bfllon annually can be generated. The 

principle applied by each of these methods is that spit tobacco should be treated as just 

another tobacco product, thus removing its current special tax status. The first option is 

to remove the current discrepancy between rates for spit tobacco and those for cigarettes. 

The remaining options illustrate revenues generated from applying to spit tobacco higher 

rates of excise tax comparable to those sometimes proposed for cigarettes. Our revenue 

estimates are based on current consumption rates and do@ predict possible market and 

behavior adjustments by producers or consumers. 

I U.S. Department of HeAb and Human Services, Centers for Diaeaae Control, Office of Smoking 

and Health, Reducing the Health Consequence of Smoking: 2S Years of Progrtm, a report of the 

Surgeon General, Publication No. (CDC) 533-542, 1989. 

2	 Lewit,E.M., D. tiate, and M. Grossman, “The effects of government regulation on teenage 

smoking, ” Journal of Law and Economia, 24:545-569, December 1981. 

2 
Four prominent options for increasing the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco: 

� A tax comparable to current cigarette taxes. 

$$jv 

�	 A tax comparable to 

$1 billion annuallv 

$2 billion annually 

Raise the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco 

from 1.1% to 11% of the average estimated 

retail price* 

the proposed cigarette tax of $1 or $2 per pack. 

$1 per path 

Raise the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco


from 1.1% to 44% of the average estimated


retail price.


$2 per pack:


Raise the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco


fkom 1.1% to 89% of the average estimated


retail price.


� A tax comparable to existiig State excise taxes on spit tobacco. 

$349 million annuallv	 Raise the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco 

from 1.7% to 25% (mean State tax rate) of the 

average estimated wholesale price for a 1.2 

ounce tin or 3 ounce pouch. 

� A tax comparable to the Federal Canadian tax on spit tobacco. 

$~	 Raise the Federal excise tax on snuff to $1.90 

per tin and on chew to $1.68 per pouch. 

Details, and the assumptions upon which these options are based, are included in the 

attachments. 

To the extent that the higher excise tax would discourage use of these tobacco products, 

the above estimates may somewhat overstate the amount of revenues that would be 

realized. However, given that the demand for tobacco products for the overall population 

is not as elastic as for young tobacco users, much of the new excise tax would be passed 

on to the general consumer. Thus, the decrease in use of these products among youth 

would be disproportionately higher than the reduction in tax revenues from the general 

population. Both the health effwt of and the revenue producing aspects of the proposal 

would remain strong. 

3

Conclusion 

Raising the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco is warranted on the basis of its 

inconsistency with other tobacco products and its potential for protecting the nation’s 

youth by discouraging their use of addictive, carcinogenic tobacco products that endanger 

their health. In addition, it would raise substantial revenues that could be used to finance 

health care initiatives. 

4






Department of Healt~’ and Hii”~zinSewices 

OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

SPIT TOBACCO AND YOUTH: 

ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS 

JUNE 1993 OEI-06-92-00501 
TABLE OF CONTENTS


PAGE 

PURPOSE AND BA~GRO~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...1 

FINDINGS 

Disparity beweentu onspittobacco and cigarettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Likelihood ofhigher prices disouraging useof 

tobacco productsbyyouth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...2 

Substantial Federal revenues from higher tax rate . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

~N~USION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..0”’ ”so~o~” .0”” .”O. *”-a ”-” o-4 

EXCISE TAX CALCULATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . ..~”~o” o””~o. o.”o””*~o G““” 

Option 1: Tax comparable to current Federal cigarette tax 

Option Zk Tax comparable to $lper pack cigarette tax 

0ption2B: Tax comparable to $2 per pack cigarette tax 

0ption3: Tax comparable to State t~on spit tobacco 

0ption4 Tax comparable to Canadiantm on spit tobacco 

SPIT TOBACCO AND YOUTH: ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS 

OEI 0iW2-00501 

Purpose 

To describe the potential impact of raising the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco in 

discouraging use of these dangerous products by youth and in raising substantial Federal 

revenues for health care. 

Background 

In December 1992, the Office of Inspector General released “Spit Tobacco and Youth” 

(OEI 06-92-00500), a report describing the present status of youth use of spit tobacm 

(moist snuff and chewing tobacco). The Surgeon General, in official comments, 

characterized spit tobacco use as an epidemic of oral cancer in the making if young people 

continue to use this dangerous product. Specifically, the report found that currently, after 

great increases in use since 1970, nearly 1 in 5 high school males use spit tobacco. Rates 

for some States, localities or ethnic groups are even higher. In addition, spit tobcontains carcinogenic and addictive substances that, in the long run, assure continuous use 

of spit or smoked tobacco, and greatly increased risk for cancer and other diseases. The 

rqofi strongly urged the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Trade 

Commission and the Department of the Treasury to re-exarnine national tobacco control 

policy, including higher excise taxes, indexed for inflation, on spit tobacco. This 

supplemental report provides additional analysis to assist in evaluating those 

recommendations. 

Findings 

Ike Federul excise tax on s@!tobacco is disptvportionutely knv companxi to the 

cigarette tax. 

The Federal excise tax on spit tobacco is a fraction of Federal rates on cigarettes or of 

State rates on spit tobacco. The 1993 Federal excise tax is 2.8c per 1.2 ounce tin of snuff 

and 2.4G per 3 ounce pouch of chewing tobacco. This Federal tax rate is approximately 

1.1% of the estimated average retail price for these products. In contrast, the 24QFederal 

excise tax on cigarettes is @J times the spit tobacco rate, i.e., 24Gon a pack of cigarettes 

is 11% of the estimated average retail price. Using rates from the 32 States which 

currently have spit tobacco excise taxes, we estimated a mean State tax rate of 25% of the 

wholesale price. Again, the Federal excise tax is only 1.7% of the estimated wholesale 

price. 

By way of contrast, average State taxes on spit tobacco and cigarettes are comparable. 
Raising spit tobacco pdces thtvugh excise -es is a prvmising stmtegy for &scoum@”ng 

youth use. 

Our sumey and other research show that raising the price of spit tobacco through 

increased excise taxes holds significant promise for discouraging use of dangerous spit 

tobacco products by youth. In our reant study, 44 percent of the 1992 young spit 

tobacco users claimed they would stop using spit tobacco if the price increased a lot. The 

existing research indicates that for the adult population, a tobacco product such as 

cigarettes has a price elasticity of demand of approximately -0.4, meaning that a 10 

percent increase in price reduces the quantity of cigarettes demanded by 4 percent.l 

However, for young people the price elasticity of demand is even greater at approximately 

-1.44 (or a 14.4% decrease in consumption for a 10% increase in price)? This indicates 

that any price increases associated with increased excise taxes would result in much 

greater decreases in demand for tobacco products by this population. This price 

sensitivity by young people would significantly decrease the number of current and 

potential new users of tobacco products in the long run. Therefore, raising Federal excise 

taxes on spit tobacco products is a very powerful health promotion strategy. 

Since the majority of youth start spit tobacco use before the age of 12, an increase in the 

Federal excise tax would deter future use of this dangerous product in subsequent 

generations, helping to avert the epidemic of oral cancer many researchers fear. . 

Substantial Federal n?venues- hurukds of millions - can be realized annually by 

incnmsing the excise tax on spti tobacco. 

As implied by the first finding, several logical and viable options exist for increasing 

Federal excise taxes on spit tobacco. Depending upon the approach used, we estimate 

Federal revenues ranging from $221 million to $2 billion annually can be generated. The 

principle applied by each of these methods is that spit tobacco should be treated as just 

another tobacco product, thus removing its curmmtspecial tax status. The first option is 

to remove the current discrepancy between rates for spit tobacco and those for cigarettes. 

The remaining options illustrate revenues generated from applying to spit tobacco higher 

rates of excise tax comparable to those sometimes proposed for cigarettes. Our revenue 

estimates are based on current consumption rates and do@ predict possible market and 

behavior adjustments by producers or consumers. 

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Sewices, CeIItera for Disease Control, Office of Smoking 

and Hsahlz, Reducing the Health Consequence.s of Smoking: 25 Years of Progrtxs, a twport of the 

Surgeon Gmeral, Publication No. (CDC) 533-542, 1989. 

2	 Lewit, E. M., D. Coate, and M.Grossman,Tbe effects of govemmeat zwguhtion on teenage 

smoking, � Jountal of Law and Ewnomics, 24:545-569, December 1981. 

2 
Four prominent options for increasing the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco: 

� A tax comparable to current cigarette taxes. 

$

~,y 1	 Raise the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco 

fkom 1.1% to 11% of the average estimated 

retail Priu. 

� A tax comparable to the proposed cigarette tax of $1 or $2 per pack. 

$ 1 billion annually 

. . $2 bllllon wwilly 

$1 per pack 

Raise the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco


from 1.1% to 44% of the average estimated


retail price.


$2 per pack


Raise the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco


from 1.1% to 89% of the average estimated


retail price.


� A tax comparable to existing State excise taxes on spit tobacco. 

$349 million annually	 Raise the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco 

from 1.7% to 25% (mean State tax rate) of the 

average estimated wholesale price for a 1.2 

ounce tin or 3 ounce pouch. 

� A tax com~rable to tbe Federal Canadian tax on spit tobacco. 

$~y7 bill”	 Raise the Federal excise tax on snuff to $1.90 

per tin and on chew to $1.68 per pouch. 

Details, and the assumptions upon which these options are based, are included in the 

attachments. 

To the extent that the higher excise tax would discourage use of these tobacco products, 

the above estimates may somewhat overstate the amount of revenues that would be 

rcdized. However, given that the demand for tobacco products for the overall population 

is not as elastic as for young tobacco users, much of the new excise tax would be passed 

on to the general consumer. Thus, the decrease in use of these products among youth 

would be disproportionately higher than the reduction in tax revenues fkom the general 

population. Roth the health eff~t of and the reven’ ducing aspects of the proposal 

would remain strong. 

3

Conclusion 

Raising the Federal excise tax on spit tobacco is warranted on the basis of its 

inconsistency with other tobacco products and its potential for protecting the nation’s 

youth by discouraging their use of addictive, carcinogenic tobacco products that endanger 

their health. In addition, it would raise substantial revenues that could be used to finance 

health care initiatives. 

4


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