Impact of Point-of-Sale Tobacco Display Bans in Thailand: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Southeast Asia Survey.

Lin Li,Ron Borland,Anne Quah,Buppha Sirirassamee,Maizurah Omar,Stephen Hamann,Hua-Hie Yong

doi:10.3390/ijerph120809508

Abstract

In September 2005 Thailand became the first Asian country to implement a complete ban on the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products at point-of-sale (POS). This paper examined the impact of the POS tobacco display ban in Thailand, with Malaysia (which did not impose bans) serving as a comparison. The data came from the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey (2005–2011), a prospective cohort survey designed to evaluate the psychosocial and behavioral impacts of tobacco control policies. Main measures included smokers’ reported awareness of tobacco displays and advertising at POS. At the first post-ban survey wave over 90% of smokers in Thailand were aware of the display ban policy and supported it, and about three quarters thought the ban was effective. Noticing tobacco displays in stores was lowest (16.9%) at the first post-ban survey wave, but increased at later survey waves; however, the levels were consistently lower than those in Malaysia. Similarly, exposure to POS tobacco advertising was lower in Thailand. The display ban has reduced exposure to tobacco marketing at POS. The trend toward increased noticing is likely at least in part due to some increase in violations of the display bans and/or strategies to circumvent them.

Highlights

Tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) are associated with smoking initiation and use [1,2]
The specific aim of this study is to examine the impact of the POS tobacco display bans in Thailand and the longer term bans on POS advertising, with Malaysia serving as a comparison country
The data came from the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia (ITC SEA) smoker survey, a prospective cohort survey designed to evaluate the psychosocial and behavioral impacts of tobacco control policies in Malaysia and Thailand

Summary

Introduction

Promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) are associated with smoking initiation and use [1,2]. Increasing evidence shows that the widespread presence of cigarette displays at the POS increases the likelihood that youth will start smoking [1,4,5,6,7], and stimulate impulse purchasing and use among current smokers [4,7,8,9,10,11,12]. To address this serious problem, some jurisdictions have implemented POS tobacco product display bans/restrictions, combined with other tobacco control efforts [12,13]. Li and colleagues examined the impact of POS display bans in Australia and Canada, in relation to the United Kingdom and the United States where there were no such restrictions between 2006 and 2010, and found that implementing POS display bans reduces smokers’ exposure to tobacco marketing and lowers their reported impulse purchasing of cigarettes [12]

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