Smoking Prevalence

Employing a two-part estimation model using the Family Income Expenditure Survey before (2009) and after (2015) the tax reform, our study assessed the impact of the Philippine Sin Tax Reform Act (2012) on cigarette consumption and the responsiveness of cigarette consumption to price changes. The results are consistent with existing studies that cigarette consumption is price inelastic. The demand, however, has become less inelastic in the Philippines over the period 2009 to 2015, indicating a more responsive cigarette demand to price increases. Of the total effect of cigarette price increase on demand, the decrease in consumption by smokers (smoking intensity) accounts for much of the decline in cigarette consumption, rather than the decrease in the number of cigarette users (smoking prevalence). The increase in excise tax due to the tax reform has been effective on lowering cigarette consumption in the country and in making cigarette demand more responsive to price increases. Specifically, the tax reform has reduced the number of cigarettes purchased by smokers more than the number of cigarette users.

Tobacco consumption is unequally distributed in society. The objective was to identify trends in tobacco use among the General and Spanish Roma populations in 2006 and 2014, years characterized by strengthening of anti-smoking policy in Spain. We calculated prevalences and logistical regression models based on the Spanish National Health Survey (2006/2012) and the National Health Survey of the Roma population (2006/2014). Smoking decreased only in men in the General population (OR 0.885). In the Roma population, there were no significant changes observed for the 2 years studied (OR: men 1.095, and women 1.147). In fact, Roma men smoke 4.2 cigarettes more, and they have a younger age of initial tobacco use. Smoking behavior of the Roma population has not changed, and there has been no reduction in inequalities in tobacco use among the two populations, despite public policies designed to reduce tobacco use in Spain.

There are many factors that affect smoking behavior. The aim of our study was to identify the most important risk factors related to smoking in the sample population of students at the University of Belgrade with a special emphasize on the family role. The cross-sectional study was conducted in a population of 2,000 students of the Belgrade University. Four faculties (Medicine, Geography, Economics, and Electrical Engineering) from which the students participating in this research were chosen by the method of random choice, conducted in the period April-June 2010. Independent risk factors for smoking in students, assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis, included: repeating a year (odds ratio (OR) = 1.67, p < .001), the number of hours spent in the rooms where others smoke (OR = 2.86, p < .001), brother smoker (OR = 1.88, p < .001), sister smoker (OR = 2.33, p < .001), knowledge about the association between smoking and lung cancer (OR = 0.31, p < .001), ...