Are low income countries targets of the tobacco industry?

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Low income countries are viewed by the tobacco industry as an emerging market. The author uses the example of tobacco industry marketing in Turkey after the market was opened in 1984, in the hopes that it will inform low income countries and prevent them from becoming industry targets.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/1999/00000003/00000002/art00006

Comment: An interesting read about what happened in Turkey when the tobacco market was opened to multinationals.

Public understanding of the illnesses caused by cigarette smoking

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Among adult and adolescent smoking and non-smoking survey participants, more than half could only name lung cancer as an effect of smoking while only half could specify emphysema. Even fewer could identify other effects of smoking, and they had little comprehension as to the effects of these diseases.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14622200410001676459

Comment: Education is key. If people don't know the adverse health effects that smoking can cause, they have few reasons to quit.

A balanced tobacco control policy

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Taxation is a popular method of tobacco control, as an increase in price can decrease the amount a smoker may consume, and discourage someone to start. This report focuses on the success of taxation for discouraging adolescent smoking uptake. The report also emphasizes the importance of using taxation in connection with other tobacco control methods.

http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/full/93/3/416

Comment: The author questions whether taxation discourages youth uptake, or merely delays it until they are adults, and no longer the subject of prevention campaigns. An interesting take on the issue.

Improving the self reporting of tobacco use : results of a factorial experiment

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Self-reporting of tobacco use has often been considered a legitimate way to estimate tobacco use. When a surveyor announces the topic of their survey, this may influence a person's response. In reaction to this problem, a study was conducted to help determine which questions may lead a person to deny their tobacco use, and why.

http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/12/2/178

Comment: An interesting comparison between the self-reported tobacco use rates in two studies in California, and how question introduction, wording and placement can influence responses.

Reasons for not using smoking cessation aids

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Participants who never used smoking cessation aids (SCA) and who made a quit attempt within the last year completed questionnaires to evaluate reasons for non-usage. The major reasons for not using SCA are thinking that they can quit on their own (55.2%), that smoking is not a problem (36.5%), and that these aids are not necessary to quit smoking (40.1%).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-129

Comment: The concept of cessation being a test of willpower needs to be challenged. Using cessation aids does not reflect weakness. It's proven that they help increase the odds of successful cessation!

One year later : are MPAA’s tobacco labels protecting movie audiences?

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

In May 2007, the Major Picture Association of America (MPAA) announced that it would take into account smoking in its movie ratings. This report assesses whether or not the MPAA has adhered to its policy.

http://repositories.cdlib.org/ctcre/tcpmus/MPAA2008/

Comment: A very interesting report. The media should continue to address that smoking in movies is influential in youth smoking initiation.