The Impact of Implementing Tobacco Control Policies: The 2017 Tobacco Control Policy Scorecard

Abstract

The Tobacco Control Scorecard, published in 2004, presented estimates of the effectiveness of different policies on smoking rates. Since its publication, new evidence has emerged. We update the Scorecard to include recent studies of demand-reducing tobacco policies for high-income countries. We include cigarette taxes, smoke-free air laws, media campaigns, comprehensive tobacco control programs, marketing bans, health warnings, and cessation treatment policies. To update the 2004 Scorecard, a narrative review was conducted on reviews and studies published after 2000, with additional focus on 3 policies in which previous evidence was limited: tobacco control programs, graphic health warnings, and marketing bans. We consider evaluation studies that measured the effects of policies on smoking behaviors. Based on these findings, we derive estimates of short-term and long-term policy effect sizes. Cigarette taxes, smoke-free air laws, marketing restrictions, and comprehensive tobacco control programs are each found to play important roles in reducing smoking prevalence. Cessation treatment policies and graphic health warnings also reduce smoking and, when combined with policies that increase quit attempts, can improve quit success. The effect sizes are broadly consistent with those previously reported for the 2004 Scorecard but now reflect the larger evidence base evaluating the impact of health warnings and advertising restrictions.

Promoting Cardiovascular Health in Early Childhood and Transitions in Childhood through Adolescence: A Workshop Report

“…Thus, policy and environmental interventions are needed to translate these insights and reach broad swaths of populations. [89][90][91] Although the targets for environmental and policy-level interventions will be the same, the mechanism of how policy and environmental level interventions work are likely to be different from individual and family approaches. For example, reducing the consumption of sugary beverages, a known risk factor for obesity and type 2 diabetes, may work through clinical counseling for small numbers of people.…”

Using the intervention ladder to examine policy influencer and general public support for potential tobacco control policies in Alberta and Quebec

“…Our study provides further insights into some of the barriers that health advocates may experience in achieving tobacco control policy progress. For example, while taxing tobacco prod ucts has been one of the most effective policy interventions for decreasing tobacco use, 6 we found it to be one of the least supported policies. We also found many differences in favourability between policy influencers in Alberta and Quebec, with the latter demonstrating stronger support for most policies.…”

“…nicotine replacement therapy) has demon strated some benefit at the individual level, 5 the impact of these health service programs pales in comparison to higher order environmental and policy approaches. 6 For instance, it has been estimated that a tax increase of 50% on the current price of cigarettes (with no valueadded tax) would reduce smoking prevalence by 18% over a 40year period; evidencebased ces sation treatments (e.g. pharmacotherapies) would only reduce smoking prevalence by 4% over the same period.…”

“…pharmacotherapies) would only reduce smoking prevalence by 4% over the same period. 6 Introduction Despite Canada's Tobacco Strategy goal of less than 5% tobacco use by 2035, 1 the prevalence of current cigarette smoking has significantly increased, from 13% in 2015 to 15% in 2017. 2 The negative impacts of tobacco misuse are not felt equally across the country; they are connected to other health and social inequalities, 1 with higher rates of tobacco misuse found among sexual minorities, young adults and Indigenous peoples.…”

Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke (Shs) and Attitude, Perception, and Acceptance Towards Smoke-Free Policy in Open-Air Eateries in Peninsular Malaysia - A Protocol

“…Smoke-free policies are one of the most important and effective strategies used in tobacco control to combat the disease burden associated with tobacco use and SHS exposure (Levy et al, 2018). Smoke-free policies are related to direct improvements in air quality (Connolly et al 2009, Shamo et al, 2015) , and reduction in smoking-related behaviour (Hawkins 2016) .…”