🚀 go-pugleaf

Mike Dedek (dedek@meaddata.com) wrote:
: In article <27763@sybase.sybase.com>, joe@sybase.com (Joseph Weinstein) writes:
: |> Dean Edell on KGO revealed some data about canadian tobacco consumption, where
: |> taxation raised the cost of cigarettes to about $3 a pack. The data show that
: |> prior to the tax increase, per capita consumption was equal to the U.S. In the
: |> few years since the taxation the consumption rate has dropped by 30%.
: |> 
: |> --
: |> Joe Weinstein   joe@sybase.com   Sybase 1650 65th st.  Emeryville Ca 94608
: |> 
: |> NOT A DISCLAIMER!   THIS IS THE OFFICIAL OPINION OF AN IMPORTANT CORPORATE
: |>                     ENTITY (NOT SYBASE).     FOR COMPLETE DETAILS SEND $10
: 
: This is not proof!  This is correlation.  Have _all_ other variables remained
: constant during the study?  For example, were the subjects of the study 
: exposed to other pressures to quit, such as adverse health information, 
: inability to smoke in certain environments, etc?
: 
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It's not even correlation. How is per capita consumption measured? 80% of Canada's
population live within a 2 hour drive of the US border. When you have large price
differences on easily smuggled items then measuring consumption becomes harder and
harder. Stores on the US side of the border all carry Canadian brands at US prices.

John Eaton
!hp-vcd!johne