Tobacco Control Laws Research Articles

States, cities raise age for tobacco purchase

States, cities raise age for tobacco purchase

A qualitative study on a 30-year trend of tobacco use and tobacco control programmes in Islamic Republic of Iran.

We conducted in-depth interviews with key tobacco control policy-makers to explore their views and opinions of trends in tobacco use and the effectiveness of tobacco control programmes over the past 3 decades. A qualitative interview study was conducted in 2014 using a grounded theory approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 86 key tobacco control policy-makers and data collection was based on principles of saturation. The core code "tobacco consumption and its control programme" was extracted and its related themes were listed. After review and classification by an expert panel, 9 categorized codes emerged. The final 31 codes were ordered according to their conceptual differentiations. Overall, tobacco consumption was constant over the past 3 decades; however it was increasing in females and young people and decreasing in older people; hookah consumption was increasing. A positive outcome is that tobacco use is now viewed negatively in the Islamic Republic of Iran, largely due to tobacco control programmes but the current situation is still not ideal and a comprehensive tobacco control law is needed.

Preventing tobacco epidemic in LMICs with low tobacco use — Using Nigeria GATS to review WHO MPOWER tobacco indicators and prevention strategies

IntroductionTobacco is a major preventable cause of disease and death globally and increasingly shifting its burden to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) including African countries. We use Nigeria Global Adult Tobacco Survey data to examine indications of a potential tobacco epidemic in a LMIC setting and provide potential interventions to prevent the epidemic. MethodologyGlobal Adult Tobacco Survey data from Nigeria (2012; sample=9765) were analyzed to examine key tobacco indicators. Estimates and confidence intervals for each indicator were computed using SPSS software version 21 for complex samples. Results5.5% of adult Nigerians use any tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke was mainly high in bars (80.0%) and restaurants (29.3%). Two-thirds of smokers (66.3%) are interested in quitting. Among those who attempted to quit, 15.0% used counseling/advice and 5.2% pharmacotherapy. Awareness was high that tobacco use causes serious illnesses (82.4%), heart attack (76.8%) and lung cancer (73.0%) but only 51.4% for stroke. Awareness that secondhand smoke can cause serious illness was also high (74.5%). Overall 88.5% support tobacco products tax increase. ConclusionAlthough tobacco use is relatively low in Nigeria as in other African countries, high smoking rate among men compared to women might indicate potential increase in prevalence. Challenges to preventing increasing smoking rate include limited use of evidence-based cessation methods among quit attempters, social acceptability of smoking particularly in bars and restaurants, and gap in knowledge on tobacco-related diseases. However, ratification of WHO FCTC and signing into law of the Tobacco Control law provide the impetus to implement evidence-based interventions.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Tobacco Carve-Out Precedent

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) text includes an article allowing the parties’ ability to deny the possibility of challenges to their tobacco control measures under the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions. Several TPP parties as well as public health advocates had sought this “tobacco carve-out” to prevent transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) from using the TPP to challenge tobacco control laws, particularly cigarette plain packaging requirements, as they have done using bilateral investment treaties (BITs). TTCs had lobbied the negotiators not to include the tobacco carve-out in the TPP. Regardless if the TPP is ultimately ratified by the parties, the TPP tobacco carve-out will likely be precedent for the insertion of language protecting tobacco control measures in future bilateral and multilateral international trade and investment treaties. Moreover, the TPP tobacco carve-out is another in a growing list of legal and policy defeats for TTCs. This article summarises the state-TTC conflict that influenced and resulted in the TPP tobacco carve-out.

La implementación del Convenio Marco para el Control del Tabaco en Costa Rica: fin a décadas de dominio de la industria

Objective . To analyze the passage of Costa Rica’s 2012 tobacco control law. Materials and methods . Review of legislation, newspaper articles, and key informant interviews. Results . Tobacco control advocates, in close collaboration with international health groups, recruited national, regional and international experts to testify in the Legislative Assembly, implemented grassroots advocacy campaigns, and generated media coverage to enact strong legislation in March 2012 consistent with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, despite tobacco industry lobbying efforts that for decades blocked effective tobacco control legislation. Conclusion . Costa Rica’s experience illustrates how with resources, good strategic planning, aggressive tactics and perseverance tobacco control advocates can overcome tobacco industry opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Executive Branch. This determined approach has positioned Costa Rica to become a regional leader in tobacco control.

Moving away from the comfort zone of tobacco control policies to the highest level of implementation

The year 2015 marked the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Following this, in the same year, the 18th comprehensive national tobacco control law(s) was adopted in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). Member countries of the EMR have come a long way in tobacco control legislation since the entry into force of the WHO FCTC, with 19 of the 22 countries now party to it (except Morocco, Palestine and Somalia). But has this legal movement really succeeded in changing the prevalence of tobacco use in the Region?

The importance of continued engagement during the implementation phase of tobacco control policies in a middle-income country: the case of Costa Rica

ObjectiveTo analyse the process of implementing and enforcing smoke-free environments, tobacco advertising, tobacco taxes and health warning labels from Costa Rica's 2012 tobacco control law.MethodReview of tobacco control legislation, newspaper...

Romania- New Tobacco control law from an NGO perspective

Romania- New Tobacco control law from an NGO perspective

Retailer compliance with tobacco control laws in New York City before and after raising the minimum legal purchase age to 21

ObjectivesNew York City (NYC) is the first large city to increase the legal minimum age for possessing tobacco products from 18 to 21 (Tobacco 21) and establish a minimum price...

The new Tobacco Control law - new challenges for healthcare system in Russia

The new comprehensive anti-tobacco law came into force 1 of June 2013 in Russia. Along with all measures – tax/price, smoke-free environments, advertisement bans, etc., the law regulates measures in education, communication, public awareness regarding smoking, and guarantees support in smoking cessation at health institutions, imposing those on healthcare system. Still little is known how well the health system meets the challenges of implementation of Tobacco Control(TC) policies. We aimed to examine to what extent the tobacco control law is implemented …

Over-the-counter sales of out-of-state and counterfeit tax stamp cigarettes in New York City

BackgroundNew York City (NYC) has strict minimum cigarette price and tax stamp laws, but evidence regarding the extent of evasion of such laws in over-the-counter sales is scarce.Methods830 packs were...

Sociodemographic Disparities in Local Smoke-Free Law Coverage in 10 States.

We assessed sociodemographic disparities in local 100% smoke-free laws prohibiting smoking in all indoor areas of nonhospitality worksites, restaurants, and bars in 10 states. We obtained data on local 100% smoke-free laws (US Tobacco Control Laws Database) and subcounty characteristics (2006-2010 American Community Survey) for Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia. Outcomes included (1) 100% smoke-free law covering restaurants, bars, and workplaces; (2) 100% smoke-free law covering restaurants, bars, or workplaces; and (3) number of venue types covered by 100% smoke-free laws (0-3). Sociodemographics included total population, urban status, percentage racial/ethnic minority, per capita income, percentage with high-school diploma, percentage with blue-collar jobs, and percentage of workers who live and work in the same locality. Across states, localities with less-educated residents, smaller proportions of workers living and working in the same locality, or both generally had lower odds of being covered by 100% smoke-free laws. Coverage varied across states for other sociodemographics. Disparities exist in local smoke-free law coverage. Identifying patterns in coverage can inform state efforts to address related disparities.

Evaluation of Tobacco Control Law at Cafe’ and Restaurants

Objective: This study was conducted in order to evaluate ideas of some cafe and restaurants’ clients and workers about the tobacco control law three years after entering into force in a central district in Ankara in 2008. Methods: In the descriptive study;105 management, 113 worker and 386 client was visited, face to face interviews were done using two different questionnaire form and another form for managements’ evaluation. SPSS 15.0 statistical package program, Chi-square and t-tests were used. Administrative leave was taken. Results: Mean age of workers was 30.1±8.32 years; 82.3% were men, 54.0% smoker; with clients the values are 27.7±8.61 years; 53.6% women and 39.4% were smokers. There’s a difference between smokers and non- smokers’ ideas about the hazards; death due to second-hand smoking (p=0.024; p<0.01). 80.3% of smokers and 74.3% of non-smokers knew the law in restaurants serving alcoholic beverages. Acceptance of the idea of the law could help to quit smoking was significantly different between smoker/non smoker workers and smoker/non smoker clients (p=0.004;p<0.001). According to observations, 7.6% of the managements didn’t have law related plaque, 94.1% had smoking free areas, 57.1% had show window, 22.7% had smoking individuals and 12.6% had ashtray. Conclusion: Tobacco use is an individualistic reality but also a public health issue. Publicly acceptance of 45 law and implementations are needed besides individual perceptions. Implementations must be inspected and Smokers’ observance of the rules must be supplied in order to decrease tobacco use and related health complications.

Evaluation of Tobacco Control Law at Cafe’ and Restaurants

Evaluation of Tobacco Control Law at Cafe’ and Restaurants

The Present Status of Tobacco Control in Bangladesh

Tobacco use is one of the preventable causes of death and disability. Worldwide 63% of all deaths are caused by NCDs, for which tobacco use is one of the greatest risk factors. Approximately 43% people of Bangladesh aged 15 years or above use both smoking and smokeless tobacco. Bangladesh enacted tobacco control law in 2005 and amendment the law in March 2013 to minimize the gap of the law. The issue on rule of the amendment is not passed and it is quite important to control tobacco effectively.

Economic Impact of Smoke-Free Legislation: Did the Spanish Tobacco Control Law Affect the Economic Activity of Bars and Restaurants?

The potential of smoke-free bans to negatively impact the hospitality business has been an argument of the hospitality and tobacco industry against such legislation. A partial smoke-free legislation was introduced in Spain in 2006 allowing smoking in most bars and restaurants due to the pressure of the hospitality sector. However, this partial ban was later amended in 2011 to include all the hospitality premises without exceptions. The stepped Spanish process permits to evaluate whether the entry into force of the smoke-free legislation had any effect on the economic activity of the hospitality sector. We employed a pooled time series cross-sectional design, with national data over 6 years (2006-2011). The dependent variable used was the total number of bars and restaurants per 100,000 inhabitants. The explanatory variables used were the average amount of spending per household in bars and restaurants, and the total unemployment rate in Spain by regions. For every 1% increase in the unemployment rate there was a 0.05% decrease in the number of bars and restaurants. In 2007, the number of bars and restaurants was significantly reduced by 13.06% (all others factors being held constant), 4.87% in 2008, and 10.42% in 2009. No statistically significant effect of the smoke-free legislation emerged from 2010 (6.76%) to 2011 (7.69%). The new Spanish smoke-free legislation had no effect on the number of bars and restaurants.

Estimates of the Prevalence of Tobacco Smoking in Egypt

The use of tobacco products constitutes the leading cause of preventable deaths in the world. In Egypt, data on the national prevalence of cigarette and waterpipe smoking are lacking, yet such data are vital to tobacco control efforts. We designed and implemented a sampling method to generate population-based prevalence estimates for tobacco smoking in Egypt. In 2005, a total of 3369 adults ages 18 and above, including 1867 females and 1502 males, participated in the survey. Among males, the national prevalence of former cigarette smoking was 18.1%, and 27.5% re- ported current smoking. Exclusive current waterpipe smoking was reported by 7.2% of adult males, and a further 3.4% reported smoking both waterpipes and cigarettes. Tobacco smoking was rarely reported by females; among them the national prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 0.3%. This study produced the first robust estimate of the national prevalence of cigarette and waterpipe smoking in Egypt based on a rigorous probability sample. Along with the more recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey, carried out by the World Health Organization in 2009, the results will be useful in assessing smoking trends in Egypt and in evaluating the impacts of recent tobacco control laws.

Health workers’ knowledge, attitude, and readiness to implement the Federal tobacco control law

Health workers’ knowledge, attitude, and readiness to implement the Federal tobacco control law

Waterpipe tobacco smoking legislation and policy enactment: a global analysis

Objective(1) To review how current global tobacco control policies address regulation of waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS). (2) To identify features associated with enactment and enforcement of WTS legislation.Data Sources(1) Legislations...

Establishing smoke-free hospitals in Vietnam: A pilot project

In Vietnam, a pilot ‘smoke-free hospital’ model was implemented in nine hospitals in 2009–2010 to supply lessons learned that would facilitate a replication of this model elsewhere. This study aimed to assess smoking patterns among health professionals and to detect levels of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure within hospital premises before and after the ‘smoke-free hospital’ model implementation. A pre- and post-intervention cross-sectional study was conducted in nine purposively selected hospitals. Air nicotine levels were measured using passive nicotine monitors; smoking evidence was collected through on-site observations; and smoking patterns were assessed through interviews with health workers. Despite the ‘smoke-free hospital’ intervention, smoking continued among health-care workers who were former smokers. Specifically, self-reported smoking prevalence significantly decreased post-intervention, but the number of daily cigarettes smoked at workplaces among male health workers remained unchanged. Post-intervention, smoking was more likely to take place outside buildings and cafeterias. However, air nicotine levels in the doctors' lounges and in emergency departments did not change post-intervention. Air nicotine levels at other sites decreased minimally. Tailored tobacco cessation programmes, targeting current smokers and mechanisms to enforce non-smoking, should be established to meet requirements of Vietnam's comprehensive National Tobacco Control Law effective in May 2013.