Tobacco control
-
This study assessed the impact of state media campaigns that prominently feature counter-industry messages on youth cigarette smoking, beyond the effects of price, secular trends, tobacco control efforts, and the national truth campaign. ⋯ Results highlight the value of continued state counter-industry campaigns.
-
To study the prevalence of snus use and of smoking among Swedish schoolchildren from 1989 to 2003. ⋯ The high prevalence of snus use in Sweden not only reduces smoking rates among Swedish men, but suppresses smoking among boys as well.
-
To assess differences in demographic and smoking characteristics between smokers who have and have not used nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). ⋯ Smokers who elect to use NRT differ from non-NRT users in ways that predispose them to failure in cessation. Controlling for smoking rate and time to first cigarette does not eliminate these differences, even among light smokers. These differences must be considered when comparing the effectiveness of NRT among samples of smokers who self select their treatment and are likely to bias such outcome comparisons.
-
The right to information is a fundamental consumer value. Following the advent of health warnings, the tobacco industry has repeatedly asserted that smokers are fully informed of the risks they take, while evidence demonstrates widespread superficial levels of awareness and understanding. ⋯ We use the idea of a smoker licensing scheme-under which it would be illegal to sell to smokers who had not demonstrated an adequate level of awareness-as a device to explore some of these issues. We also explore some of the difficulties that addiction poses for the notion that smokers might ever voluntarily assume the risks of smoking.