Tobacco caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century and if the current trend continues, it could cause many more deaths in the 21st century: 21% of the population worldwide aged 15 and above consume smoke tobacco products.
In response to this global tobacco epidemic, individual countries are adopting policies to control tobacco. An important measure is to increase taxes, but how do tax increases impact the population, health inequality and health system costs? 
In New Zealand, researchers have estimated the impact of annual tobacco tax increases compared with no tax increases. Tobacco taxation has steadily increased in New Zealand since 2010 and the country has large ethnic inequalities on the burden of smoking-related and non-communicable disease (NCD).
Their findings suggest that in New Zealand (and probably in other similar populations), ongoing tobacco tax increases should deliver sizeable health gains and health system cost savings and should modestly reduce health inequalities. Although, health gains and cost savings will not peak for several decades because smoking is more common among younger age groups and the tobacco tax effect is greater among young people (who have limited disposable income), young people will have to pay more to smoke.
The study suggest policy makers to introduce other tobacco control interventions focused on smoking cessation among middle-age smokers to achieve more rapid reductions in tobacco-related diseases and health inequalities. This call goes in line with our publication on the 2015 World No Tobacco Day.
Main source: Plos Medicine
Author of the picture, Medhak: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mendhak/