Crossing Borders: The Impact of the California Tobacco Control Program on Both Sides of the US–Mexico Border

Abstract

We examined the association between exposure to the California Tobacco Control Program and tobacco-related behaviors and perceptions among adults of Mexican descent. Three cross-sectional population-based surveys were conducted among adults in cities that represent full, partial, and no exposure to the program: San Diego, Calif, Tijuana, Mexico, and Guadalajara, Mexico, respectively. After we controlled for socioeconomic differences, we found significantly different rates of smoking, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, and smoking bans in the 3 cities. We also observed a parallel gradient of cross-city differences in theoretical mediators of tobacco control. This suggests a significant association among the California Tobacco Control Program, tobacco-control outcomes, and theoretical mediators of these outcomes. Similar programs should be implemented in other regions; they have widespread effects on social norms and behaviors related to smoking and environmental tobacco smoke and can help achieve tobacco control across nations.

Complete Home Smoking Bans and Antitobacco Contingencies: A Natural Experiment

“…Health benefits of home bans have been shown in high-income countries , but limited research has determined the use or benefits of home bans for middle-income countries. Our research indicated a low prevalence of complete home smoking bans in Mexico (Martínez-Donate et al, 2008); however, homes with complete bans provided residents with protection from SHSe (Martínez-Donate, Johnson-Kozlow, Hovell, & Gonzalez Perez, 2009). No prior studies have explored whether differential exposure to antitobacco cultures may result in differential exposure to social determinants that could mediate the likelihood of implementing home smoking bans (Escoffery, Kegler, & Butler, 2009).…”

“…The sociodemographic profile of the three samples (i.e., gender, age, marital status, employment status, and level of education) was closely related to the populations in San Diego, Tijuana, and Guadalajara, respectively, according to the 2000 U.S. and Mexico Census (Martínez-Donate et al, 2008).…”

“…A cross-sectional population survey was administered between June 2003 andSeptember 2004 in San Diego (population 1,305,736), Tijuana (population 1,210,820), and Guadalajara (population 1,646,319) (Martínez-Donate et al, 2008;U.S. Census Bureau, 2000).…”

“…Details of the representative sampling procedures have been reported previously (Martínez-Donate et al, 2008). Of the respondents in San Diego, 79.5% completed the survey in Spanish and 20.5% in English.…”

“…While demographic factors are usually employed as control variables (CVs) for sampling bias, we included children explicitly to test possible moderation, mediation, and predictor functions of social contingencies of reinforcement from family, friends, and the larger society that hold parents accountable for protecting children from harm. Thus, we explored the role of "children" as a correlate, CV, as a possible moderator of SHSe contingencies Rosen, Noach, Winickoff, & Hovell, 2012), and as a marker of social contingencies that could function as mediators of home smoking bans, as has been reported for similar theoretical mediators such as smoking cessation (Martínez-Donate et al, 2008), which demonstrated partial support.…”