Search

On May 1, 2005, the city of Flagstaff, Arizona enacted a smoking ban in standalone bars. All other establishments already had smoking bans in place for at least three years. Trained observers carried air monitoring equipment and counted lit cigarettes and patrons on two weekends before and four weekends after the ban. Monthly hospitality revenues from 2003 to 2006 were also collected from the Coconino County Tax Assessor's office and analyzed for changes after the ban. Air quality improved immediately by 87% in bars, with no appreciable decrease in the total bar revenues over the next three years. All hospitality businesses experienced a general leveling off of growth after the ban, suggesting a change in more general economic factors. As an industry, hospitality was unaffected by the smoking ban, though individual establishments could have been adversely affected. The standalone bar industry revenue continued to increase after the ban. Alcohol and cigarette co-consumption was not supported.

Background: Smoke-related problems are particularly frequent in psychiatry, with additional concerns about iatrogenic effects on smoking in inpatient settings. Aims: To study the impact of a partial smoking ban on psychiatric patients and staff members. Methods: Using a pre- and post-intervention design, comparison of smoke-related characteristics and perceptions permitted changes after the introduction of smoking restrictions in 2002 to be studied. Ninety-one inpatients and 110 staff members participated in 2001 before intervention, and 134 inpatients and 85 staff members participated in 2005. Results: After reinforcement of smoking restrictions, no significant changes in smoking prevalence or severity were observed, but there was a change in attitude for patients, more of whom were considering stopping. Daily cigarette consumption after admission changed significantly between 2001 and 2005. A marked decrease after three days in hospital as compared to the week before entry was observed in 2005 (p = 0.005), whereas in 2001 the trend was towards increase (p = 0.06). Furthermore, although the perception of quantity of smoke decreased (p = 0.0005) for both patients and staff, discomfort related to smoke remained unchanged. Conclusion: The introduction of a partial smoking ban had favourable effects on patients' cigarette consumption and attitudes, but more efforts need to be pursued. Key words: behaviour, health policy, inpatients, intention, nicotine dependence, prevalence, psychiatry, smoking cessation

Objectives. We sought to assess the impact of several tobacco control policies and televised antismoking advertising on adult smoking prevalence. Methods. We used a population survey in which smoking prevalence was measured each month from 1995 through 2006. Time-series analysis assessed the effect on smoking prevalence of televised antismoking advertising (with gross audience rating points [GRPs] per month), cigarette costliness, monthly sales of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and bupropion, and smoke-free restaurant laws. Results. Increases in cigarette costliness and exposure to tobacco control media campaigns significantly reduced smoking prevalence. We found a 0.3-percentage-point reduction in smoking prevalence by either exposing the population to televised antismoking ads an average of almost 4 times per month (390 GRPs) or by increasing the costliness of a pack of cigarettes by 0.03% of gross average weekly earnings. Monthly sales of NRT and bupropion, exposure to NRT advertising, and smoke-free restaurant laws had no detectable impact on smoking prevalence. Conclusions. Increases in the real price of cigarettes and tobacco control mass media campaigns broadcast at sufficient exposure levels and at regular intervals are critical for reducing population smoking prevalence.

The impact of different kinds of smoking bans on state-level demand for alcohol is studied. The prohibition of smoking reduces the demand for alcohol.

Adolescents engaged in substance abuse treatment manifest a rate of cigarette smoking approximately four times higher than that of youth in the general population (~80% vs. 20%) and a high rate of smoking persistence into adulthood. Although there has been a shift toward the implementation of no-smoking policies in substance abuse treatment programs, few studies have examined the relation between cigarette-smoking bans and key clinical outcomes. The current study examined the medical charts of all adolescents (N = 520) admitted to the only adolescent hospital-based substance abuse treatment program in the northern two thirds of the province of British Columbia, Canada. During the span of the study period (March 2001--December 2005), the treatment site moved from a partial smoking ban to a total smoking ban, and then retreated to partial smoking ban. The total smoking ban was not associated with a lower proportion of adolescent smokers seeking treatment at the facility or a lower treatment completion rate among smokers. Total smoking bans do not appear to be an obstacle for adolescent smokers seeking residential substance abuse treatment, nor do total smoking bans appear to compromise the treatment completion rates of smokers in comparison to nonsmokers. Despite these null findings, the effective implementation of smoke-free policies in adolescent substance abuse treatment programs requires not only large-scale organizational change but also the transformation of current commonly held beliefs about tobacco dependence in addictions treatment and recovery communities. Keywords: Smoking bans; Adolescents; Substance abuse treatment; Nicotine dependence; Alcohol abuse; Drug abuse

A simulation model is developed for Vietnam to project smoking prevalence and associated premature mortality. The model examines independently and as a package the effects of five types of tobacco control policies: tax increases, clean air laws, mass media campaigns, advertising bans, and youth access policies. Predictions suggest that the largest reductions in smoking rates will result from implementing a comprehensive tobacco control policy package. Significant inroads may be achieved through tax increases. A media campaign along with programs to publicize and enforce clean air laws, advertising bans and youth access laws would further reduce smoking rates. Tobacco control policies have the potential to make large dents in smoking rates, which in turn could lead to many lives saved. In the absence of these measures, deaths from smoking will increase. The model also helps to identify information gaps pertinent both to modeling and policymaking. Keywords. Tobacco control policy; Vietnam; Simulation model; Cigarette smoking

This article uses daily data on stock returns of five U.S. publicly traded cigarette producers to document the wealth effects of antismoking policies initiated in the period 1964 to 1971. The authors find significant abnormal returns across 23 dates corresponding to important regulatory events. The second-stage estimation shows that wealth effects are also influenced by firm characteristics, such as market share, advertising intensity, percentage of sales of filter-tip cigarettes, percentage of advertising expenditures devoted to TV and radio, and tobacco leaf inventories. Overall, the article estimates that industry losses from antismoking policies amounted to approximately $1.5 billion. (JEL L66, G14, I18), I. INTRODUCTION Although tobacco smoking was touted in earlier years as an aid for a variety of ailments, in light of the medical evidence on the detrimental health effects of [...]

Objectives. We examined the extent to which adolescents in Norway have been exposed to tobacco marketing despite an existing ban, and whether exposure is related to their current smoking or expectations they will smoke in the future. Methods. Questionnaires were administered to nationally representative systematic samples of Norwegian youths aged 13 to 15 years in 1990 (n=4282) and 1995 (n=4065). Results. About half in each cohort reported exposure to marketing. Youths reporting exposure were significantly more likely to be current smokers and to expect to be smokers at 20 years of age, after control for important social influence predictors. Conclusions. Adolescents' current smoking and future smoking expectations are linked to marketing exposure even in limited settings, suggesting the need for comprehensive controls to eliminate the function of marketing in promoting adolescent smoking. (Am J Public Health. 2004;94:1230-1238)