Banning Tobacco Price Promotions, Smoking Related Beliefs...

Banning tobacco price promotions, smoking-related beliefs and behavior: Findings from the International Tobacco Control four-country cohort survey Abstract Purpose: We examined how prohibiting tobacco price promotion at the national level influenced smoking-related beliefs and behaviors. Method: We used data from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation project four-country cohort. Smokers and recent quitters at wave 8 (N = 4,114) were included in multivariate logistic regression models to examine associations between exposure to price promotions at waves 7 and 8 (conducted in 2008-2009 and 2010) on smoking-related beliefs and behavior at wave 8, stratified by whether the countries allow (United States, Australia) or ban†¦show more content†¦Conclusion: Differential associations emerged between exposure to price promotions and smoking-related beliefs across ban- vs. no-ban countries. Frequent exposure to promotions repeatedly predicted smoking-related beliefs and subsequent smoking behaviors in no-ban countries. Adopting price-promotion bans could eliminate effects of tobacco price promotions on smoking. Key words: International health, Smoking behavior, Smoking-related beliefs, Tobacco-control policy, Tobacco promotions Introduction Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable deaths and illnesses. Worldwide, the burden of tobacco exceeds six million deaths and half a trillion in economic loss annually. Tobacco-related deaths are projected to reach 7.4 to 9.7 million by 2030. To combat tobacco-use epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) enacted a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that included six tobacco-control strategies to guard against both demand and supply arms of tobacco use. Abbreviated as â€Å"mpower,† these strategies include monitoring tobacco use and prevention strategies; protection against tobacco smoke; offering cessation aid; warnings against tobacco-related risks; enforcing advertising, promotional, and sponsorship bans; and raising taxation on tobacco products. , Advertising, promotional, and sponsorship ban remains the least adopted â€Å"mpower† strategy. Only 24 countries (covering a mere 10% of the world’s