The relationship of cigarette prices and no-smoking bylaws to the prevalence of smoking in Canada.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the association of cigarette prices and no-smoking bylaws with the prevalence of smoking. Data on individual smoking status were taken from two national household surveys in Canada. Current cigarette price, the 1-year and 10-year increase in price, and the extent of local restrictions on public smoking were added to the model. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of being a smoker. The odds ratio for being a smoker was 1.21 where no-smoking by-laws were relatively infrequent and 1.26 when cigarettes were relatively inexpensive, after adjusting for individual age, sex, education, and marital status. Both cigarette prices and no-smoking bylaws are effective in controlling smoking; either alone will likely have less impact than the two measures together.