Objective
This session will highlight the importance of evidence-based policy-making by presenting a case of partnering with economic think-tanks in the SEE region to build their capacity to conduct economic research on the impacts of tobacco taxation and inform tobacco taxation policies through policy-dialogue. In addition to presenting a summary of global economic research and empirical evidence on tobacco taxation in low- and middle-income countries, this session will showcase the think-tank capacity building project by the University of Illinois at Chicago. Finally, this session will showcase the economic research conducted by UIC’s partner network of seven SEE countries.