Biomaterial Database

The effects of tobacco control policies on smoking rates: a tobacco control scorecard. 2004

David T Levy, and Frank Chaloupka, and Joseph Gitchell

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, University of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. levy@pire.org

This article reviews studies of the effect of tobacco control policies on smoking rates with the aim of providing guidance on the importance of different policies. Based on past studies, we estimate the magnitude of effects of major tobacco control policies, how their effects depend on the manner in which the policies are implemented, the relationship between the different policies, and the barriers to implementation. The most successful campaigns have implemented a combination of tobacco control policies. Of those policies, substantial evidence indicates that higher taxes and clean air laws can have a large impact on smoking rates. Evidence also indicates that media campaigns when implemented with other policies are important. Research on greater access to treatment and telephone support hotlines indicates a strong potential to increase quit rates and may be important in affecting heavier smokers. Direct evidence on the effects of advertising bans and health warnings is mixed, but these policies appear to be important in some of the countries that have had success in reducing smoking rates. School education programs and limits on retail sales are not likely to have much impact if implemented alone, but may be more important when combined with other policies.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011050	Policy Making	The decision process by which individuals, groups or institutions establish policies pertaining to plans, programs or procedures.	Analysis, Policy,Policy Analysis,Policy Development,Analyses, Policy,Development, Policy,Developments, Policy,Making, Policy,Policy Analyses,Policy Developments
D011634	Public Health	Branch of medicine concerned with the prevention and control of disease and disability, and the promotion of physical and mental health of the population on the international, national, state, or municipal level.	Community Health,Environment, Preventive Medicine & Public Health,Environment, Preventive Medicine and Public Health,Health, Community,Health, Public
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000074606	Smoking Prevention	Efforts directed at preventing SMOKING of TOBACCO and non-tobacco products.	Anti-Smoking Campaign,Anti-Smoking Education,Anti Smoking Campaign,Anti Smoking Education,Anti-Smoking Campaigns,Anti-Smoking Educations,Campaign, Anti-Smoking,Campaigns, Anti-Smoking,Education, Anti-Smoking,Prevention, Smoking,Preventions, Smoking,Smoking Preventions
D012907	Smoking	Willful or deliberate act of inhaling and exhaling SMOKE from burning substances or agents held by hand.	Smoking Behaviors,Smoking Habit,Behavior, Smoking,Behaviors, Smoking,Habit, Smoking,Habits, Smoking,Smoking Behavior,Smoking Habits
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D019460	Tobacco Industry	The aggregate business enterprise of agriculture, manufacture, and distribution related to tobacco and tobacco-derived products.	Industry, Tobacco,Industries, Tobacco,Tobacco Industries