No abstract

Reducing differences in cigarette tax and price within the EU, coupled with a stricter limitation on the quantity of cigarettes that it is possible to carry from one Member State to another, may help reduce cross-border tax avoidance strategies.

Background:Smokeless and cigarette tobacco use is becoming increasingly popular among Nigerian adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate predictors of intention to quit tobacco use among adolescents that currently use tobacco products in Nigeria.Materials and Methods:A total of 536 male and female high school students in senior classes in Benue State, Nigeria were enrolled into the cross-sectional study. The survey instrument was adapted from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) questionnaire.Results:Among adolescents with tobacco habits, 80.5% of smokeless tobacco users and 82.8% of cigarette smokers intended to quit tobacco use within 12 months. After adjustment, significant predictors of intention to quit cigarette smoking were parents’ smoking status (P<0.01), peers’ smokeless use status (P<0.01) and perception that smoking made one comfortable at social events (P<0.01). For intention to quit smokeless tobacco use, significant predictors after adjustment were parents’ smokeless use status, (P=0.03) perception that smokeless tobacco use made one more comfortable at social events (P=0.04) and perception of harm from smokeless use (P=0.02).Conclusion:This study demonstrates that the intention to quit smokeless and cigarette tobacco use is significantly predicted by perception about the societal acceptance of tobacco use at social events, parents and peers’ tobacco use status as well as the perception of harm from use of tobacco products. Providing social support may increase quit attempts among youth smokers.

IntroductIon Secondhand smoke (SHS) causes death and disease among non-smokers. In 2008, the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, passed a comprehensive smoke-free law. This study assessed the baseline prevalence of SHS exposure in the home and at public areas among secondary school students in Abuja, Nigeria during 2008. MethodsThe 2008 Global Youth Tobacco Survey dataset was analysed for 1399 students in Abuja. Prevalence of support for smoke-free laws in public places as well as of exposure to SHS in the home and at non-home areas (including public spaces) was calculated overall, as well as by population subgroups. Chi-squared test was used to assess statistical significance of within-group differences. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess significant correlates of SHS exposure and support for smoke-free laws. All analyses were 2-tailed and the level of significance was set at P<0.05.results Overall prevalence of SHS exposure in the home was 24.1 % (95%CI: 21.1-27.1) while the prevalence of SHS exposure in non-home areas, including public spaces was 43.0% (95%CI: 36.6-49.4). The odds of exposure to SHS were significantly higher among current smokers as well as students that had ≥1 close friend that smoked. Overall, 55.3% of students supported smoke-free policies in public places.conclusIons This study showed that a substantial proportion of adolescents in Abuja were exposed to SHS in public places in 2008. Monitoring and evaluation of existing smoke-free policies will provide evidence base for strengthening existing measures or introducing new evidence-based interventions to help reduce youth SHS exposure. IntroductIonExposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is a serious threat to public health and causes death and disease in nonsmoking adults and children 1 . The U.S. Surgeon General's report on SHS concluded that there is no risk-free level of SHS exposure, and even brief exposures can cause disease in otherwise healthy people, or exacerbate conditions in people with pre-existing disease 1 . Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of SHS exposure due to their higher metabolism and ventilation rates, as well as being less able to control their exposure to SHS compared to adults 2 . The elimination of smoking in all indoor areas is the only effective way to fully protect nonsmokers from SHS exposure in indoor environments. Smoke-free legislations are dependent on political will, enforcement and societal support. However, while the public may be supportive of smoke-free legislation, adherence may decline rapidly if enforcement is limited or non-existent. In 2008, the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, passed the most comprehensive public smoking ban yet seen in the country. This ban outlawed smoking in all communal areas including restaurants, bars and workplaces 3 . In May 2015, the national tobacco control bill was signed into law. This new tobacco control law provides new opportunities for broad scale reductions in SHS exposure in public places among youths a...

No abstract