Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in mainland China

The Changing and Predicted Trends in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Burden in China, the United States, and India from 1990 to 2030

Background

This study analyzed the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in China, the United States, and India from 1990 to 2019 and projected the trends for the next decade.

Methods

This study utilized the GBD 2019 to compare the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rate, and the proportion attributed to different risk factors in China, the United States, and India. Joinpoint models and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were employed to capture the changing trends in disease burden and forecast outcomes.

Results

From 1990 to 2019, China's age-standardized COPD incidence and mortality rates decreased by 29% and 70%, respectively. In the same period, India's rates decreased by 8% and 33%, while the United States saw an increase of 9% in COPD incidence and a 22% rise in mortality rates. Smoking and ambient particulate matter pollution are the two most significant risk factors for COPD, while household air pollution from solid fuels and low temperatures are the least impactful factors in the United States and India, respectively. The proportion of risk from household air pollution from solid fuels is higher in India than in China and the United States. Predictions for 2030 suggest that the age-standardized DALY rates, ASIR, and ASMR in the United States and India are expected to remain stable or decrease, while China's age-standardized incidence rate is projected to rise.

Conclusion

Over the past three decades, the incidence of COPD has been decreasing in China and India, while showing a slight increase in the United States. Smoking and ambient particulate matter pollution are the primary risk factors for men and women, respectively. The risk of household air pollution from solid fuels in India needs attention.

A Critical Review of E-Cigarette Regulation in China: Challenges and Prospects for Youth Prevention and Tobacco Control

INTRODUCTION

The increasing popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has led to the emergence of public health concerns, particularly among the youth. As a major producer and exporter of e-cigarettes, China has faced public health challenges in regulating the unregulated e-cigarette industry.

AIMS AND METHODS

This study aims to evaluate the regulatory development of e-cigarettes in China. We searched and obtained national policy documents related to e-cigarettes and subnational smoke-free laws from LexisNexis on August 2, 2023, which were enacted between January 1, 2023 and July 31, 2023. We used 99 policy documents for the final analysis, specifically 68 national policy documents on e-cigarettes and 31 subnational smoke-free laws. We chronologically reviewed these policy documents in full text and summarized them on the basis of their content and the requirements of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

RESULTS

Chinese policymakers established the current regulatory framework for e-cigarettes by amending, enacting, and enforcing laws and regulations. E-cigarettes are categorized as tobacco products, and the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration regulates the e-cigarette industry. The Chinese authorities prioritize youth prevention in strengthening the regulation on e-cigarettes. China adopts various tobacco control measures for e-cigarettes and cigarettes.

CONCLUSIONS

China gained certain degrees of progress on tobacco control by regulating e-cigarettes and adopting measures required by the WHO FCTC. However, tobacco monopoly hinders the full realization of tobacco control goals, which necessitates the National Health Commission to assume its responsibility for the complete implementation of the WHO FCTC.

IMPLICATIONS

This study presents a critical review of the development of e-cigarette regulation in China by reviewing relevant policy documents and analyzing tobacco control measures. It recognizes the degrees of progress of tobacco control measures and highlights tobacco monopoly as a significant hindrance of the full implementation of the WHO FCTC. Furthermore, empirical studies are required on the enforcement of tobacco control measures in China.

A COM-B analysis of facilitators of and barriers to smoking cessation among Chinese smokers: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

Smoking prevalence remains high in China with a low cessation motivation level, despite the government's tobacco control efforts. There is a lack of research specifically examining perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to smoking cessation in this region, particularly from a theory-based deductive perspective. Utilizing the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior) model as a theoretical framework, this study aimed to identify facilitators and barriers to smoking cessation among Chinese smokers.

METHODS

The study employed semi-structured individual interviews with 40 participants. Each interview spanned approximately 30 minutes. The participants, constituting both current and former smokers, were all aged ≥18 years (n=40). Interview data were then examined using a directed content analysis approach.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed three interrelated themes. Capability: Smokers face challenges when resisting peer pressure and dealing with life after quitting. They also lack knowledge about smoking, quitting techniques, and withdrawal symptoms. Opportunity: Changing societal attitudes towards smoking create opportunities for quitting, but these are hindered by inadequate cessation services and a lack of family support. Motivation: Smokers' motivation to quit is mainly driven by health concerns. Resistance to quitting often stems from the belief that smoking is a personal choice or just a habit. Excessive emphasis on willpower may hinder motivation to quit.

CONCLUSIONS

To enhance smoking cessation efforts in China, three key aspects should be considered: capability, opportunity, and motivation. Publicity and educational campaigns should target common misconceptions about smoking as a personal freedom, correct the overemphasis on willpower, and widely promote available cessation services. A crucial aspect is shifting societal norms to foster anti-smoking sentiments. Effective strategies may involve using real-life stories to illustrate smoking's health consequences, disseminating information about cessation services in maternity centers, enhancing services through mobile health initiatives, and empowering families to support smokers in their quit attempts.

Defining indicators for the scoping stage of health impact assessment to evaluate tobacco control policy in the city of Beijing

INTRODUCTION

Beijing initiated the nation's most comprehensive tobacco control program that adheres to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This study aimed to identify a set of indicators for the scoping of an Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to assess this policy.

METHODS

This study used a modified Delphi process. It proposed a tobacco control health impact framework based on the Driving forces- Pressure- State- Exposure- Effect- Action model and the Determinants of Health Theory. After a review of current surveillance system and literature, a working group of 13 experts with multidisciplinary background was established to formulate indicator evaluation criteria and conduct indicator scoring. Each indicator was scored by experts according to four evaluation criteria chosen. Indicators that obtained a total score above 80% and with standard error less than 5 were selected as the final set of indicators. Kendall's coefficient of concordance was calculated.

RESULTS

Twenty-three out of 36 indicators were selected. Smoking prevalence, mortality rate, hospital admission rate, tobacco consumption and hospital admission fees of smoking related diseases achieved more than 90% of total scores and ranked as the top five. Kendall's concordance coefficient was 0.218 for all indicators. For all model composition, Kendall's concordance coefficients were statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

This study identified a set of twenty-three indicators for scoping of HIA of a comprehensive tobacco control policy in Beijing based on a tobacco control health impact conceptual framework. The set of indicators achieved high scores and statistically significant consistency and has great potential to promote the evaluation of tobacco control policy in a global city. Further study might use the set of indicators for HIA on tobacco control policy to analyze empirical data.

Effects of municipal smoke-free ordinances on secondhand smoke exposure in the Republic of Korea

Objective

To reduce premature deaths due to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-smokers, the Republic of Korea (ROK) adopted changes to the National Health Promotion Act, which allowed local governments to enact municipal ordinances to strengthen their authority to designate smoke-free areas and levy penalty fines. In this study, we examined national trends in SHS exposure after the introduction of these municipal ordinances at the city level in 2010.

Methods

We used interrupted time series analysis to assess whether the trends of SHS exposure in the workplace and at home, and the primary cigarette smoking rate changed following the policy adjustment in the national legislation in ROK. Population-standardized data for selected variables were retrieved from a nationally representative survey dataset and used to study the policy action’s effectiveness.

Results

Following the change in the legislation, SHS exposure in the workplace reversed course from an increasing (18% per year) trend prior to the introduction of these smoke-free ordinances to a decreasing (−10% per year) trend after adoption and enforcement of these laws (β2 = 0.18, p-value = 0.07; β3 = −0.10, p-value = 0.02). SHS exposure at home (β2 = 0.10, p-value = 0.09; β3 = −0.03, p-value = 0.14) and the primary cigarette smoking rate (β2 = 0.03, p-value = 0.10; β3 = 0.008, p-value = 0.15) showed no significant changes in the sampled period. Although analyses stratified by sex showed that the allowance of municipal ordinances resulted in reduced SHS exposure in the workplace for both males and females, they did not affect the primary cigarette smoking rate as much, especially among females.

Conclusion

Strengthening the role of local governments by giving them the authority to enact and enforce penalties on SHS exposure violation helped ROK to reduce SHS exposure in the workplace. However, smoking behaviors and related activities seemed to shift to less restrictive areas such as on the streets and in apartment hallways, negating some of the effects due to these ordinances. Future studies should investigate how smoke-free policies beyond public places can further reduce the SHS exposure in ROK.

Multiple streams approach to tobacco control policymaking in the capital city of the world's largest tobacco consuming country

The aim of this study was to analyse the policymaking process of Beijing tobacco control regulations based on a multiple streams framework to provide a reference for other cities, at the national level and for the international community to promote the development of tobacco control policy. Twenty-one documents related to tobacco control in Beijing were collected, nine informants were interviewed and the interview data were analysed by a thematic framework method. It was found that indicators, feedback and a focus event in the problem stream drew the attention of policymakers and the society for tobacco control. In 2011, Ying Songnian, a representative of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, put forward tobacco control legislation, which was just in time for the legislative reform of the Congress. The proposal was studied by the Congress, and a strategy of 'social co-governance' was founded. In the political stream, the government actively promoted tobacco control and social organizations extensively participated in it. In 2013, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the General Office of the State Council issued a notice on matters related to leading cadres taking the lead in banning smoking in public places, which opened a policy window for decision-makers who were hesitatant. The issue of tobacco control was successfully put on the policy agenda and contributed to the introduction of the Beijing Municipal Regulations on Smoking Control. Development of the factors in problem stream, policy stream and political stream promoted the setting up of the tobacco control policy agenda in Beijing. It is suggested that more cities should learn from the experience of Beijing, seize the opportunity of the ideological change of the ruling party, actively identify the problems, mobilize and advocate for representatives and introduce the concept of 'social co-governance' to promote tobacco control legislation.

China's Smoke-free Policies in Public Place and the Smoking Cessation Status of Smokers

INTRODUCTION

Smoking remains a major health risk factor and China is the world's largest consumer of tobacco. Smoke-free policies in public places are a powerful weapon in tobacco control. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association between smoke-free policies in public places and smoking cessation among smokers in China from 2012 to 2020.

METHODS

In this study, we assessed the impact of smoke-free public places policies on smoking cessation situation among smokers aged 16 years and older. We do this by conducting a difference-in-differences analysis using data from the China Family Panel Study (CFPS) 2012-2020.

FINDINGS

By 2020, about 60.2% of the cities were covered by partial smoke-free policies and about 38.5% by comprehensive smoke-free policies. Based on the results of the study, we found that the medium-term effect model (Model 2, 2012:2016; Model 3, 2012:2018) of the impact of partial smoke-free policies on smoking cessation was not statistically significant using 2012 as the study baseline; the short-term effect model (Model 1; 2012:2014; P< .01) and the long-term effect model (Model 4; 2012:2020; P< .05) were statistically significant; the effect of a comprehensive smoke-free policy on smoking cessation (Model 5; 2012:2020; P<.05) was statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

China's existing comprehensive smoke-free policies have had a modest impact on smoking cessation among the smoking population, and a strong, comprehensive national smoke-free law is urgently needed to achieve greater public health outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS

Smoke-free policies are an important intervention to influence smoking behavior. This study demonstrates that comprehensive smoke-free policies in public places in China can effectively influence smoking behavior and show long-term trends in smoke-free behavior, while also reflecting the need to promote comprehensive smoke-free policies. This study provides a basis for the implementation of comprehensive smokefree policies into law and also provides a basis for policy makers.

Strategies to expand corporate autonomy by the tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverage industry: a scoping review of reviews

BACKGROUND

Noncommunicable diseases contribute to over 70% of global deaths each year. Efforts to address this epidemic are complicated by the presence of powerful corporate actors. Despite this, few attempts have been made to synthesize existing evidence of the strategies used to advance corporate interests across industries. Given this, our study seeks to answer the questions: 1) Is there an emergent taxonomy of strategies used by the tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) industries to expand corporate autonomy? 2) How are these strategies similar and how are they different?

METHODS

Under the guidance of a framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley, a scoping review was carried out whereby six databases were searched in June 2021 to identify relevant peer-reviewed literature. To be included in this review, studies had to explicitly discuss the strategies used by the tobacco, alcohol, and/or sugar-sweetened beverage multinational corporations and be considered review articles aimed to synthesize existing evidence from at least one of the three industries. Eight hundred and fifty-eight articles were selected for full review and 59 articles were retained for extraction, analysis, and categorization.

RESULTS

Results identified six key strategies the industries used: 1) influencing government policy making and implementation, 2) challenging unfavorable science, 3) creating a positive image, 4) manipulating markets, 5) mounting legal challenges, and 6) anticipating future scenarios. Despite these similarities, there are few but important differences. Under the strategy of influencing government policy making and implementation, for example, literature showed that the alcohol and SSB industries have been "privileged with high levels of participation" within international public health organizations.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding how industries resist efforts to control them is important for public health advocates working to reduce consumption of and death and diseases resulting from harmful commodities. Moreover, there is a greater need for the public health community to generate consensus about how to ethically engage or not engage with industries that produce unhealthy commodities. More studies are also needed to build the evidence base of industry tactics to resist regulation, particularly in the case of SSB, and in low-and middle-income countries.

The impact of comprehensive tobacco control policies on cardiovascular diseases in Beijing, China

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

China has a high smoking prevalence, but lacks effective tobacco control interventions. In 2015, comprehensive policies that incorporated all six aspects of MPOWER were implemented in Beijing and were considered the strictest tobacco control policy implemented in China to date. Decreases in the prevalence of active smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure were observed thereafter. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Beijing's 2015 tobacco control policy package on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

DESIGN

Interrupted time-series study.

SETTING

Beijing, China.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 17.7 million employees enrolled in Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) between January 2013 to June 2017.

INTERVENTIONS

Beijing's 2015 comprehensive tobacco policy package, combining a complete ban on smoking in indoor public places, cessation support, more comprehensive bans on advertising, and tax rises.

MEASUREMENTS

The main outcome was hospital admissions for all CVDs and five major cause-specific CVDs, including ischaemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF), heart rhythm disturbances (HRDs), stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases (CBDs). The absolute number and proportion of reductions in the number of hospital admissions after the policies are reported.

FINDINGS

A total of 419 875 hospital admissions for CVD were identified. In total, 13.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 11.5%, 15.3%] of hospital admissions for CVD were averted by the tobacco control policies. For major cause-specific CVDs, significant hospital admission reductions occurred for IHD (5.4%, 95% CI = 2.6%, 8.3%), stroke (21.2%, 95% CI = 17.8%, 24.6%) and other CBDs (25.9%, 95% CI = 20.8%, 31.0%), but not for HF (4.7%, 95% CI = -4.2%, 13.5%) or HRDs (4.7%, 95% CI = -2.9%, 12.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Beijing's 2015 tobacco control policy package appears to have been associated with a more than 10% reduction in all cardiovascular hospital admissions, including a more than 20% reduction in admissions for cerebrovascular diseases.

Changing trends of disease burden of gastric cancer in China from 1990 to 2019 and its predictions: Findings from Global Burden of Disease Study

Objective

China is one of the countries with the heaviest burden of gastric cancer (GC) in the world. Understanding the epidemiological trends and patterns of GC in China can contribute to formulating effective prevention strategies.

Methods

The data on incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of GC in China from 1990 to 2019 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study (2019). The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to evaluate the temporal trends of disease burden of GC, and the package Nordpred in the R program was used to perform an age-period-cohort analysis to predict the numbers and rates of incidence and mortality in the next 25 years.

Results

The number of incident cases of GC increased from 317.34 thousand in 1990 to 612.82 thousand in 2019, while the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of GC decreased from 37.56 per 100,000 in 1990 to 30.64 per 100,000 in 2019, with an EAPC of -0.41 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): -0.77, -0.06]. Pronounced temporal trends in mortality and DALYs of GC were observed. In the next 25 years, the numbers of new GC cases and deaths are expected to increase to 738.79 thousand and 454.80 thousand, respectively, while the rates of incidence and deaths should steadily decrease. The deaths and DALYs attributable to smoking were different for males and females.

Conclusions

In China, despite the fact that the rates of GC have decreased during the past three decades, the numbers of new GC cases and deaths increased, and will continue to increase in the next 25 years. Additional strategies are needed to reduce the burden of GC, such as screening and early detection, novel treatments, and the prevention of risk factors.

The mortality of lung cancer attributable to smoking among adults in China and the United States during 1990-2017

Background

Statistical data on the burden and relevant risk factors of lung cancer are valuable for policy‐making. This study aimed to compare the mortality of lung cancer attributable to smoking stratified by sex and age among adults in China and the United States (US).

Methods

We extracted age‐standardized mortality rates of lung cancer during 1990‐2017 using the comparative risk assessment framework of the 2017 Global Burden of Disease study. We performed an age‐period‐cohort analysis to estimate time trend of lung cancer mortality attributable to smoking.

Results

During 1990‐2017, the age‐standardized mortality rate of lung cancer was increasing in China but decreasing in the US for both sexes. The mortality attributable to smoking in China showed a generally increasing trend, while a continuous decrease was observed in the US. The age‐period‐cohort analysis showed a similar trend of age effect among adults between China and the US: the mortality substantially increased from the 30‐34 to 80‐84 age group and subsequently decreased in the 90‐94 age group. However, the period effect rapidly increased in Chinese adults during 1990‐2017, while it tended to be stable in the US although it was still slightly increasing in women. The cohort effect generally peaked in the earlier cohort born in 1902‐1906 in the two countries.

Conclusions

During 1990‐2017, the lung cancer mortality attributable to smoking and the period effect are generally increasing in Chinese adults; the mortality attributable to smoking is decreasing in the US adults, but the period effect tends to be stable. The rapid aging and prevalence of smoking may intensify the increasing mortality of lung cancer in China.

Impact of a comprehensive tobacco control policy package on acute myocardial infarction and stroke hospital admissions in Beijing, China: interrupted time series study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate a comprehensive tobacco control policy package on hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke in a global city.

DESIGN

Interrupted time series study.

SETTING

Beijing, China.

POPULATION

31 707 AMI and 128 116 stroke hospital admissions recorded by the Beijing Medical Claim Data for Employees in 17.7 million residents from January 2013 to June 2017.

INTERVENTION

The policy package including all components of MPOWER has been implemented since June 2015.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The immediate change of AMI and stroke hospital admissions and the annual change in the secular trend.

RESULTS

There was a secular increase trend for the crude hospital admission rates of AMI and stroke during the observational period. After implementation of the policy, immediate reductions were observed in the hospital admissions for both AMI (-5.4%, 95% CI -10.0% to -0.5%) and stroke (-5.6%, 95% CI -7.8% to -3.3%). In addition, the secular increase trend for stroke was slowed down by -15.3% (95% CI -16.7% to -13.9%) annually. Compared with the hypothetical scenario where the policy had not taken place, an estimated 18 137 (26.7%) stroke hospital admissions had been averted during the 25 months of postpolicy period.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated significant health benefits on cardiovascular morbidity after the Beijing tobacco control policy package, which highlighted the importance for a comprehensive tobacco control policy at the national level in China. Similar tobacco control policy which consists of all components of MPOWER is urgently needed in other areas, especially in settings with high tobacco consumption, to achieve greater public health gains.

Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) in China: Evidence from Citywide Representative Surveys from Five Chinese Cities in 2018

China is the largest cigarette consuming country in the world. The emergence of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in China may have important implications for the Chinese tobacco market. Unfortunately, research on ENDS in China, while growing, is still limited. This study was designed to examine the awareness and use of ENDS among adult urban residents in China. Data from five citywide representative surveys conducted in 2017–2018 were used. Percentages of residents who had ever heard of, ever used, or used ENDS in the past 30 days among all residents and smokers were estimated, in total and by demographic characteristics. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted associations between awareness and use of ENDS and individual-level demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status (SES). Overall, 51.3% had ever heard, 4.8% ever used, and 0.9% used ENDS in the past 30 days. Men, young adults, those with high levels of education, and current smokers were more likely to be aware of and use ENDS. Among smokers, 67.8% had ever heard, 17.1% ever used, and 3.9% used ENDS in the past 30 days, respectively. Young adult smokers and smokers with high levels of education were more likely to be aware of and use ENDS. Our study results on ENDS awareness and use patterns and associated factors in China provide important evidence to inform research and policies related to ENDS manufacture, marketing, and sales in China.

Secondhand smoke exposure and support for smoke-free policies in cities and rural areas of China from 2009 to 2015: a population-based cohort study (the ITC China Survey)

OBJECTIVES

To examine trends in smoking prevalence in key venues (workplaces, restaurants, bars) and in public support for comprehensive smoke-free laws, with comparisons between cities and rural areas in China.

DESIGN

Data are from Waves 3-5 (2009-2015) of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China Survey, a cohort survey of smokers and non-smokers. Logistic regression analyses employing generalised estimating equations assessed changes in smoking prevalence and support for smoke-free laws over time; specific tests assessed whether partial smoking bans implemented in three cities between Waves 3 and 4 had greater impact.

SETTING

Face-to-face surveys were conducted in seven cities (Beijing, Changsha, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shanghai, Shenyang and Yinchuan) and five rural areas (Changzhi, Huzhou, Tongren, Yichun and Xining).

PARTICIPANTS

In each survey location at each wave, a representative sample of approximately 800 smokers and 200 non-smokers (aged 18+) were selected using a multistage cluster sampling design.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence of smoking (whether respondents noticed smoking inside restaurants, bars and workplaces); smoking rules inside these venues; and support for complete smoking bans in these venues.

RESULTS

Although smoking prevalence decreased and support increased over time, neither trend was greater in cities that implemented partial smoke-free laws. Smoking was higher in rural than urban workplaces (62% vs 44%, p<0.01), but was equally high in all restaurants and bars. There were generally no differences in secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure between smokers and non-smokers except in rural workplaces (74% vs 58%, p<0.05). Support for comprehensive bans was equally high across locations.

CONCLUSIONS

Partial laws have had no effect on reducing SHS in China. There is an urgent need for comprehensive smoke-free laws to protect the public from exposure to deadly tobacco smoke in both urban and rural areas. The high support among Chinese smokers for such a law demonstrates that public support is not a barrier for action.

Cigarette Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Exposure Before and After a Tobacco-Free Olympic Policy Period: Qingdao, China

INTRODUCTION

We explored the impact of a temporary tobacco-free public policy for the 2008 Summer Olympics on the smoking prevalence and secondhand smoke exposure among the population of a co-hosting city, Qingdao, China.

METHODS

The Qingdao Diabetes Survey was analyzed for 2006 (n = 4599) and 2009 (n = 4680), which are survey years before and after the tobacco-free Olympics public policy period (July 2007 to January 2009). We analyzed the differences in self-reported smoking prevalence and exposure to secondhand smoke at home and/or workplace, and compared odds of smoking by survey year and of exposure to secondhand smoke among nonsmokers.

RESULTS

From 2006 to 2009, the male smoking prevalence declined from 51.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 49.0% to 53.9%) to 42.6% (95% CI = 40.2% to 45.1%), and the proportion of lighter smokers decreased more. Among nonsmokers, the secondhand smoke exposure rate declined from 62.2% (95% CI = 60.5% to 63.9%) to 56.8% (95% CI = 55.1% to 58.6%). Regression analyses show 34% lower odds of men smoking after Olympics (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.57% to 0.77%). Rural residents and individuals who are not retired were more likely to smoke. Female nonsmokers report 17% less exposure to secondhand smoke after Olympics (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.70% to 0.98%). Urban nonsmokers were more likely to be exposed than their rural counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking prevalence among men and secondhand smoke exposure among women significantly decreased in Qingdao, China, after the tobacco-free Olympics public policy period. As only the proportion of lighter smokers decreased, this may help explain why urban nonsmokers reported increased exposure. Unintended increased secondhand smoke exposure and cessation support need to be addressed in large-scale policy campaigns.

IMPLICATIONS

Hosting the Olympic Games can help to initiate large-scale tobacco-free public policies for hosting cities. Although previous studies have demonstrated reduction in nonsmoker exposure to secondhand smoke, the impact on the hosting city's smoking prevalence or exposure rates is unclear. After the Olympic Games in Qingdao, China, smoking prevalence among men significantly decreased, mostly due to light smokers. Secondhand smoke exposure at home and/or workplace significantly decreased among female nonsmokers. Urban nonsmokers had an unintended consequence of increased secondhand smoke exposure after the tobacco-free Olympic policy period. Concurrent promotion of cessation support for heavier smokers may be needed.

Cigarette consumption estimates for 71 countries from 1970 to 2015: systematic collection of comparable data to facilitate quasi-experimental evaluations of national and global tobacco control interventions

OBJECTIVES

To collect, appraise, select, and report the best available national estimates of cigarette consumption since 1970.

DESIGN

Systematic collection of comparable data.

SETTING AND POPULATION

71 of 214 countries for which searches for national cigarette consumption data were conducted, representing over 95% of global cigarette consumption and 85% of the world's population.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Validated cigarette consumption data covering 1970-2015 were identified for 71 countries. Data quality appraisal was conducted by two research team members in duplicate, with greatest weight given to official government sources. All data were standardised into units of cigarettes consumed per year in each country, a detailed accounting of data quality and sourcing was prepared, and all collected data and metadata were made freely available in an open access dataset.

RESULTS

Cigarette consumption fell in most countries over the past three decades but trends in country specific consumption were highly variable. For example, China consumed 2.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cigarettes in 2013, more than Russia (0.36 MMT), the United States (0.28 MMT), Indonesia (0.28 MMT), Japan (0.20 MMT), and the next 35 highest consuming countries combined. The US and Japan achieved reductions of more than 0.1 MMT from a decade earlier, whereas Russian consumption plateaued, and Chinese and Indonesian consumption increased by 0.75 MMT and 0.1 MMT, respectively. These data generally concord with modelled country level data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and have the additional advantage of not smoothing year-over-year discontinuities that are necessary for robust quasi-experimental impact evaluations.

CONCLUSIONS

Before this study, publicly available data on cigarette consumption have been limited; they have been inappropriate for quasi-experimental impact evaluations (modelled data), held privately by companies (proprietary data), or widely dispersed across many national statistical agencies and research organisations (disaggregated data). This new dataset confirms that cigarette consumption has decreased in most countries over the past three decades, but that secular country specific consumption trends are highly variable. The findings underscore the need for more robust processes in data reporting, ideally built into international legal instruments or other mandated processes. To monitor the impact of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and other tobacco control interventions, data on national tobacco production, trade, and sales should be routinely collected and openly reported.

Impact of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on global cigarette consumption: quasi-experimental evaluations using interrupted time series analysis and in-sample forecast event modelling

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on global cigarette consumption.

DESIGN

Two quasi-experimental impact evaluations, using interrupted time series analysis (ITS) and in-sample forecast event modelling.

SETTING AND POPULATION

71 countries for which verified national estimates of cigarette consumption from 1970 to 2015 were available, representing over 95% of the world's cigarette consumption and 85% of the world's population.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The FCTC is an international treaty adopted in 2003 that aims to reduce harmful tobacco consumption and is legally binding on the 181 countries that have ratified it. Main outcomes were annual national estimates of cigarette consumption per adult from 71 countries since 1970, allowing global, regional, and country comparisons of consumption levels and trends before and after 2003, with counterfactual control groups modelled using pre-intervention linear time trends (for ITS) and in-sample forecasts (for event modelling).

RESULTS

No significant change was found in the rate at which global cigarette consumption had been decreasing after the FCTC's adoption in 2003, using either ITS or event modelling. Results were robust after realigning data to the year FCTC negotiations commenced (1999), or to the year when the FCTC first became legally binding in each country. By contrast to global consumption, high income and European countries showed a decrease in annual consumption by over 1000 cigarettes per adult after 2003, whereas low and middle income and Asian countries showed an increased annual consumption by over 500 cigarettes per adult when compared with a counterfactual event model.

CONCLUSIONS

This study finds no evidence to indicate that global progress in reducing cigarette consumption has been accelerated by the FCTC treaty mechanism. This null finding, combined with regional differences, should caution against complacency in the global tobacco control community, motivate greater implementation of proven tobacco control policies, encourage assertive responses to tobacco industry activities, and inform the design of more effective health treaties.

Impact of the WHO FCTC on non-cigarette tobacco products

Introduction

This paper investigates to what extent Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) parties have successfully implemented regulatory measures against non-cigarette tobacco product (NCTP) use, considers the challenges and peculiarities in applying such regulations and proposes effective means.

Data and methods

This review was based on many sources mainly: International Legal Consortium, International Tobacco Control, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, FCTC, expert group visits and published literature.

Findings and conclusion

The FCTC provided a framework that applies to all forms of tobacco and this encouraged some parties to adopt control measures against NCTP and to incorporate them into their national tobacco control plans. Although a number of countries have adopted measures specifically targeted towards smokeless and waterpipe tobacco, greater global progress is needed. The strongest achievements have been in protection from exposure to tobacco smoke; controlling advertising, promotion and sponsorship; controlling sales to and by minors; education, communication and public awareness; and packaging and labelling of NCTP. Countries which adopted broad definitions of tobacco products have demonstrated encouraging trends in curbing their use. Future work should address the deep-rooted social acceptance of NCTP, the laxity in their control, their exclusion from regulations in some countries and the failure to subject them to increased taxation. Control measures should also specifically target the initiation risk to youth and adolescents and all factors that contribute to that such as banning flavourings and promotions through social media. Stronger global surveillance of NCTP use, tracking of policy implementation and evaluation of policy impact will provide important evidence to assist parties in fully implementing the FCTC to control their use.

Using the theory of normative social behavior to understand compliance with a smoke-free law in a middle-income country

Smoke-free laws, which ban smoking in public venues, can be effective in protecting public health, but it has been difficult to achieve compliance with these laws in low- and middle-income countries. This study was conducted to understand the social norms around public smoking and learn how to improve compliance in Bogor, the first Indonesian city to pass a comprehensive smoke-free law. Eleven stratified focus groups were conducted (n = 89). Data were analyzed using the theory of normative social behavior, which posits that the influence of descriptive norms (perceptions about what other people do) on behavior is moderated by injunctive norms (perceptions about what one is expected to do), outcome expectations and group identity. The findings showed that participants perceived smoking in public to be common for men (descriptive norm). Public smoking is acceptable except in places with air conditioning and around children or pregnant women (injunctive norms). Men smoke without penalty of social or legal sanctions (outcome expectations) and may feel affiliation with other smokers (group identity). Together, these factors support public smoking and inhibit compliance with the smoke-free law. Theory-based communication and policy remedies are suggested that may bolster compliance with Bogor's smoke-free law given the current pro-smoking norms.

Slowing the Titanic: China's Epic Struggle with Tobacco

China is home to a third of the world's smokers and, correspondingly, to a third of the world's cases of lung cancer. Beginning in the mid-1990s, a generation or so later than in many Western countries, the Chinese government commenced measures to control tobacco, limiting advertising, banning smoking in many public venues, and increasing taxation. At the time of this review, there are signs that these policies are having some effect, but hundreds of millions of Chinese continue to smoke and rates of diagnosis of lung cancer continue to rise. There is much work to be done and much premature death to be suffered before the epidemic is slowed to the levels reached in Australia or the United States. This article aims to provide, particularly for practicing lung cancer clinicians, a description of patterns of smoking in China, the lung cancer epidemic there, and the stimuli for and barriers to tobacco control imposed by the highly complex and unique regulatory setting of the Chinese tobacco industry. A particular challenge in developing this description has come from the variability of studies published about a huge nation that has enormous diversity in wealth, education, urbanization, and tradition. The studies vary because the data vary. Much information on lung cancer and smoking rates in China comes, for example, from studies of cohorts that may number in the millions yet represent only a small percentage of the population and sometimes only a tiny geographic area of such a vast nation. National registry data on lung cancer in China do not yet cover even a fifth of the national population. Even so, we argue that several major trends can be identified: (1) more than 50% of men smoke regularly; (2) there are more than 300 million smokers in China; (3) almost half a million new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in China each year; (4) secondhand smoking is a significant problem in China (as elsewhere), accounting for a high proportion of lung cancer cases among women, most of whom do not smoke; (5) corrected for age and sex, lung cancer rates in the Chinese population are as least as high as in Western countries and arguably higher; and (6) a shift over time from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) to adenocarcinoma is occurring in parallel with that noted in Western populations. Looking to the future, measures to control tobacco in China are strengthening but remain relatively weak. The reinforcement of control is hampered by the circumstance that the tobacco industry remains a powerful state-owned monopoly that participates, through its membership of key government bodies, in the processes that oversee the implementation of tobacco control. The conflict between the government's dual responsibilities for both the production and distribution of tobacco and for the implementation of tobacco control carries inherent contradictions and bias. How long the Chinese government chooses to live with these contradictions will determine how quickly the smoking of tobacco will be reduced and how soon the burden of disease that tobacco inflicts on individuals and society as a whole will be eased.

Exposure to secondhand smoke and risk of peripheral arterial disease in southern Chinese non-smokers: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study-Cardiovascular Disease Sub-cohort

Objectives

We studied the association between secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in Chinese non-smokers.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study: Cardiovascular Disease Sub-cohort Study (GBCS-CVD). Guangzhou residents aged ≥ 50 years were recruited between 2003 and 2008. Baseline data included measurement of ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) and self-reported smoking status and SHS exposure. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the association between SHS and PAD (defined as ABPI < 0.9).

Results

Of the 1507 non-smokers, 24 (1.6%) had PAD. Of these, 12 were men and 12 were women. Exposure to SHS at home of ≥25 h per week was reported by 16.7% of PAD cases compared with 3.8% of those without PAD (χ2 test, p = 0.003). After adjustment for potential confounders, exposure to ≥25 h per week at home was still associated with PAD (adjusted OR 7.86, 95% CI 2.00–30.95, p = 0.003), with suggestion of a dose-response relationship.

Conclusions

Our results extend the US Surgeon General’s 2006 report that SHS exposure is an independent risk factor for PAD. National smoke-free legislation is needed to protect all people from exposure.

Is this the end of the beginning for smoking in China? Challenges, context and change

Tobacco use in China is a substantial threat to global health and, after many years of poor implementation of tobacco control, attitudes are changing for the better and substantial actions may be about to follow. This commentary reviews the impact of tobacco and the recent history of tobacco control in China, the context and implications of new encouraging legislation.

Evaluation of smoke-free policies in seven cities in China, 2007-2012

BACKGROUND

China is the world's largest consumer of tobacco, with hundreds of millions of people exposed daily to secondhand smoke (SHS). Comprehensive smoke-free policies are the only effective way to protect the population from the harms of SHS. China does not have a comprehensive national smoke-free law but some local-level regulations have been implemented.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate local level smoke-free regulations across 7 cities in China by measuring the prevalence of smoking in public places (workplaces, restaurants and bars), and support for smoke-free policies over time.

METHODS

Data were from Waves 2 to 4 of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China Survey (2007-2012), a face-to-face cohort survey of approximately 800 smokers in each of 7 cities in mainland China. Multivariate logistic regression models estimated with generalised estimating equations were used to test the changes in variables over time.

RESULTS

As of 2012, over three-quarters of respondents were exposed to smoking in bars; more than two-thirds were exposed to smoking in restaurants and more than half were exposed to smoking in indoor workplaces. Small decreases in the prevalence of smoking were found overall from Waves 2 to 4 for indoor workplaces, restaurants and bars, although the decline was minimal for bars. Support for complete smoking bans increased over time for each venue, although it was lowest for bars.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing partial smoking bans across China have had minimal impact on reducing smoking in public places. A strongly enforced, comprehensive national smoke-free law is urgently needed in order to achieve greater public health gains.

Multi-stakeholder taskforces in Bangladesh--a distinctive approach to build sustainable tobacco control implementation

The MPOWER policy package enables countries to implement effective, evidence-based strategies to address the threat posed to their population by tobacco. All countries have challenges to overcome when implementing tobacco control policy. Some are generic such as tobacco industry efforts to undermine and circumvent legislation; others are specific to national or local context. Various factors influence how successfully challenges are addressed, including the legal-political framework for enforcement, public and administrative attitudes towards the law, and whether policy implementation measures are undertaken. This paper examines District Tobacco Control Taskforces, a flexible policy mechanism developed in Bangladesh to support the implementation of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act 2005 and its 2013 Amendment. At the time of this study published research and/or data was not available and understanding about these structures, their role, contribution, limitations and potential, was limited. We consider Taskforce characteristics and suggest that the “package” comprises a distinctive tobacco control implementation model. Qualitative data is presented from interviews with key informants in ten districts with activated taskforces (n = 70) to provide insight from the perspectives of taskforce members and non-members. In all ten districts taskforces were seen as a crucial tool for tobacco control implementation. Where taskforces were perceived to be functioning well, current positive impacts were perceived, including reduced smoking in public places and tobacco advertising, and increased public awareness and political profile. In districts with less well established taskforces, interviewees believed in their taskforce’s ‘potential’ to deliver similar benefits once their functioning was improved. Recommendations to improve functioning and enhance impact were made. The distinctive taskforce concept and lessons from their development may provide other countries with a flexible local implementation model for tobacco control.

Factors associated with support for smoke-free policies among government workers in Six Chinese cities: a cross-sectional study

Background

A certain level of public support for smoke-free environments is a prerequisite for adoption and enforcement of policies and can be used as an indicator of readiness for legislative action. This study assessed support for comprehensive smoke-free policies in a range of settings such as hotels and colleges among government workers in China and identified factors associated with support for smoke-free policies. Understanding the extent to which government workers, a large segment of the working population in China, report a smoke-free workplace and support for smoke-free policies may be important indicators of readiness for strengthened policies given their role in formulating, implementing and enforcing regulations.

Methods

Data were from an evaluation of the Tobacco Free Cities initiative of Emory University’s Global Health Institute-China Tobacco Control Partnership. Self-administered surveys were completed by 6,646 workers in 160 government agencies in six Chinese cities. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with support for smoke-free worksites, bars, hotels, and colleges.

Results

Over half (54.6%) of participants were male. A large percentage of the male workers smoked (45.9%,) whereas very few women did (1.9%). Fewer than 50% of government workers reported smoke-free policies at work, with 19.0% reporting that smoking is allowed anywhere. Support for smoke-free policies was generally very high, with the lowest levels of support for smoke-free bars (79.0%) and hotels (82.3%), higher levels of support for restaurants (90.0%) and worksites (93.0%), and above 95% support for hospitals, schools, colleges, public transportation and religious settings. Knowledge of the harmfulness of secondhand smoke was positively associated with support for smoke-free policies. Stricter worksite smoking policies were associated with support for smoke-free workplaces and bars, but not hotels and colleges. Women and nonsmokers were more supportive of smoke-free policies in general.

Conclusion

Government workers play important roles in formulating, implementing and enforcing regulations; results suggest support for a more comprehensive approach to smoke-free environments in China among workers across a broad range of agencies.

Effectiveness of a television advertisement campaign on giving cigarettes in a chinese population

Background

Anti-tobacco television advertisement campaigns may convey messages on smoking-related health consequences and create norms against giving cigarettes.

Methods

Altogether, 156 and 112 slots of a television advertisement “Giving cigarettes is giving harm” were aired on Suzhou and Yizheng, respectively, over one month in 2010. Participants were recruited from 15 locations in Suzhou and 8 locations in Yizheng using a street intercept method. Overall 2306 residents aged 18–45 years completed questionnaires, including 1142 before the campaign and 1164 after, with respective response rates of 79.1% and 79.7%. Chi square tests were used to compare the difference between categorical variables.

Results

After the campaign, 36.0% of subjects recalled that they had seen the advertisement. Residents of Suzhou had a higher recall rate than those of Yizheng (47.6% vs. 20.6%, P < 0.001). The rate of not giving cigarettes dropped from 32.1% before the campaign to 28.5% after (P = 0.05). In the post-campaign evaluation, participants who reported seeing the advertisement were more likely not to give cigarettes in the future than those who reported not seeing the advertisement (38.7% vs. 27.5%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our study showed that an anti-tobacco television advertisements helped change societal norms and improve health behavior. Continuous and adequate funding of anti-tobacco media campaigns targeted at different levels of the general population is needed, in conjunction with a comprehensive tobacco control effort.

Smoking, smoking cessation and tobacco control in rural China: a qualitative study in Shandong Province

Background

Smoking prevalence is high in China and even higher among rural residents. The aims of this study were: 1) to gain insights into the motivations of tobacco use and barriers to smoking cessation among rural village residents; 2) to understand the current tobacco control measures in the rural villages and barriers encountered or perceived for implementation.

Methods

Qualitative semi-structured face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions were conducted of 59 rural villagers including 37 village residents, 10 village leaders and 12 village doctors in three counties in Shandong Province, China.

Results

Smoking initiation was most often out of curiosity when seeing others smoke, but pressure from cigarette sharing and gifting custom was the major barrier to smoking cessation. The most important reason for quitting successfully was a detrimental health problem. Although many attempted to quit at the advice of other family members, relapses were common and few were able to quit completely and for long-term unless accompanied by significant health issues. Although doctor’s advice to quit is effective, many doctors do not offer advice to all patients. There is a lack of true understanding of the harm of smoking and second-hand smoking among the villagers and a lack of access to and knowledge of effective smoking cessation tools among both smokers and village doctors. Tobacco control activities at villages were rare and infrequent.

Conclusions

This study highlighted the need to develop tobacco control measures that reflect the unique culture in rural China. Smoking cessation measures are not likely to achieve large scale effect unless the prevailing cigarette sharing and gifting custom is drastically changed. More educations of the hazards of smoking and second-hand smoking to village residents and educations of effective smoking cessation treatment to both village residents and healthcare providers are needed.

'Zhonghua' tobacco advertisement in Shanghai: a descriptive study

OBJECTIVE

To document tobacco advertising practices of a popular, high-grade, domestic cigarette in China across a broad spectrum of channels.

METHODS

Media monitoring and direct observations were conducted to assess tobacco advertisements for Zhonghua cigarettes in Shanghai, China, through the following channels: newspapers, TV, internet, outdoor advertisements and point-of-sale advertisements.

RESULTS

Consistent with the national ban, no direct tobacco advertisements were found in newspapers or on TV. However, statements about counterfeit 'Zhonghua' cigarettes indirectly promoted Zhonghua tobacco through newspapers. Although no tobacco advertisements were found in Shanghai mainstream websites or in channels of national mainstream sites, a great amount of information was communicated about Zhonghua cigarettes via websites, using patriotic themes and associations with Chinese culture. Large outdoor tobacco advertisements of 'Loving my China' were found in downtown Shanghai. Zhonghua tobacco advertisements were present in almost all of the points-of-sale observed (95%).

CONCLUSIONS

Zhonghua cigarettes are promoted directly and indirectly through a variety of channels. This study suggests there is an urgent need to establish comprehensive bans that prohibit all types of tobacco advertisements in China.

Challenges to effective cancer control in China, India, and Russia

Cancer is one of the major non-communicable diseases posing a threat to world health. Unfortunately, improvements in socioeconomic conditions are usually associated with increased cancer incidence. In this Commission, we focus on China, India, and Russia, which share rapidly rising cancer incidence and have cancer mortality rates that are nearly twice as high as in the UK or the USA, vast geographies, growing economies, ageing populations, increasingly westernised lifestyles, relatively disenfranchised subpopulations, serious contamination of the environment, and uncontrolled cancer-causing communicable infections. We describe the overall state of health and cancer control in each country and additional specific issues for consideration: for China, access to care, contamination of the environment, and cancer fatalism and traditional medicine; for India, affordability of care, provision of adequate health personnel, and sociocultural barriers to cancer control; and for Russia, monitoring of the burden of cancer, societal attitudes towards cancer prevention, effects of inequitable treatment and access to medicine, and a need for improved international engagement.

The global tobacco control 'endgame': change the policy environment to implement the FCTC

The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) has prompted major change in tobacco control globally. However, policy implementation has been uneven, making 'smoke free' outcomes possible in some countries, but not others. We identify the factors that would improve implementation. We describe an ideal type of 'comprehensive tobacco control regimes', where policy environments are conducive to the implementation of tobacco control measures designed to eradicate tobacco use. The ideal type requires that a country have certain policy processes: the department of health takes the policy lead; tobacco is 'framed' as a public health problem; public health groups are consulted at the expense of tobacco interests; socioeconomic conditions are conducive to policy change; and, the scientific evidence is 'set in stone' within governments. No country will meet all these criteria in the short term, and the gap between the ideal type and the current state is wide in many countries. However, the WHO experience provides a model for progress.

Absolute and comparative cancer risk perceptions among smokers in two cities in China

INTRODUCTION

Knowledge about health effects of smoking motivates quit attempts and sustained abstinence among smokers and also predicts greater acceptance of tobacco control efforts such as cigarette taxes and public smoking bans. We examined whether smokers in China, the world's largest consumer of cigarettes, recognized their heightened personal risk of cancer relative to nonsmokers.

METHODS

A sample of Chinese people (N = 2,517; 555 current smokers) from 2 cities (Beijing and Hefei) estimated their personal risk of developing cancer, both in absolute terms (overall likelihood) and in comparative terms (relative to similarly aged people).

RESULTS

Controlling for demographics, smokers judged themselves to be at significantly lower risk of cancer than did nonsmokers on the comparative measure. No significant difference emerged between smokers and nonsmokers in absolute estimates.

CONCLUSIONS

Smokers in China did not recognize their heightened personal risk of cancer, possibly reflecting ineffective warning labels on cigarette packs, a positive affective climate associated with smoking in China, and beliefs that downplay personal vulnerability among smokers (e.g., I don't smoke enough to increase my cancer risk; I smoke high-quality cigarettes that won't cause cancer).

An assessment of health risks and mortality from exposure to secondhand smoke in Chinese restaurants and bars

INTRODUCTION

Smoking is generally not regulated in restaurants or bars in China, or the restrictions are not fully implemented if there are any, while the related hazard health effects are not recognized by the majority of the Chinese population.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to assess the excess health risks and mortality attributed to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in restaurants and bars for both servers and patrons to provide necessary evidence for advancing tobacco control in this microenvironment.

METHODS

Two approaches were used for the assessment. One is a continuous approach based on existing field measurements and Repace and Lowrey's dose-response model, and the other is a categorical approach based on exposure or not and epidemiological studies.

RESULTS

Based on the continuous approach, servers were estimated to have a lifetime excess risk (LER) of lung cancer death (LCD) of 730 to 1,831×10(-6) for working five days a week for 45 years in smoking restaurants and 1,862 to 8,136×10(-6) in smoking bars, and patrons could have a LER of LCD of 47 to 117×10(-6) due to visiting smoking restaurants for an average of 13 minutes a day for 60 years, and 119 to 522×10(-6) due to visiting smoking bars. The categorical approach estimated that SHS exposure in restaurants and bars alone caused 84 LCD and 57 ischemic heart disease (IHD) deaths among nonsmoking servers and 1,2419 LCDs and 1,689 IHD deaths among the nonsmoking patron population.

CONCLUSIONS

SHS exposure in restaurants and bars alone can impose high lifetime excess risks of lung cancer death and ischemic heart disease deaths to both servers and patrons, and can cause a significant number of deaths each year in China. These health risks and deaths can be prevented by banning smoking in restaurants and bars and effectively implementing these smoking bans.

Exploring the implementation of the framework convention on tobacco control in four small island developing states of the Pacific: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

To determine what variables influence the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in small island developing states of the Pacific and how they affect its success or failure. To explore how barriers can be overcome and opportunities utilised to ensure an effective FCTC implementation in the Pacific Islands.

DESIGN

A mixed methods, multiple case study consisting of primarily qualitative data in the form of semistructured interviews, document analysis and opportunistic observation.

SETTING

Field visits were undertaken to collect data in the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Palau and Nauru. The key informants were interviewed in the major cities or islands of each respective country: Rarotonga, Port Vila, Koror and Nauru.

PARTICIPANTS

Purposive sampling was used to select 39 informants, whose roles were associated with FCTC implementation. Most of the participants worked in health-oriented positions in the government and non-government organisations.

RESULTS

Each country made a significant progress towards FCTC implementation. Overall, strong policy content, public support and limited pro-tobacco coalition activity were conducive to FCTC implementation, but the challenges were evident in the form of limited capacity, limited antitobacco coalition activity and limited political commitment outside the ministries of health in each country.

CONCLUSIONS

Further efforts are needed for full FCTC implementation, through building capacity and using resources effectively, growing commitment to FCTC beyond the health sector, fostering growth in antitobacco coalition activity, exploiting the limited pro-tobacco activity that may be present and garnering public support for tobacco control. These lessons may be particularly important for other small island developing states in the Pacific and developing countries elsewhere.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in China: barriers, challenges and recommendations

AIM

The aim of this study was to analyze the barriers in the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in China and present recommendations on ways to address these challenges in tobacco control in China.

METHODS

We review the available literature on progress and explore the barriers and challenges that impede a speedier pace in the adoption of the effective tobacco control measures, and present recommendations based on in-depth knowledge of decision-making process on the implementation of FCTC in China.

RESULTS

The pace of progress in China is too slow. China faces intractable political, structural, economic and social barriers in tobacco control, which make the whole-hearted implementation of FCTC measures a painstaking process.

DISCUSSION

The authors recommend a comprehensive approach to speed up the implementation of tobacco control measures. This includes strong political leadership from the top, structural changes to the tobacco industry and government oversight of the tobacco industry, as well as advocacy and support for tobacco control from civil society at the grassroots level.

Smoke-free or not: a pilot evaluation in selected Beijing Hospitals

Background

China enacted a policy to ban smoking in hospitals. The Chinese Association for Tobacco Control (CATC) developed a program to help hospitals implement this policy. They conducted a program and an assessment in 3 Chinese cities (Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong). A more in-depth evaluation was implemented with a sub-sample of hospitals in Beijing (N = 7) to provide an independent assessment. This independent assessment focused on evaluating policy development and an assessment of secondhand smoke (SHS) to determine compliance with the smoke-free policy initiative.

Methods

Pre- and post-survey data were collected at each of the selected hospitals with a total sample of 2835 physicians at pre-intervention and 2812 at post-intervention. Smoking rates pre- and post-policy implementation, change in knowledge, attitudes and practices among physicians, and compliance with policy were assessed. Measurements of airborne nicotine concentrations in selected locations in each hospital were taken: main hospital lobby; main outpatient center; emergency waiting room; and stairwell adjacent to a large inpatient ward. Hospital policies were collected, translated and rated for incorporated components necessary to implement a smoke-free policy.

Results

Physicians’ smoking rates decreased and attitudes towards tobacco control improved significantly from pre-to post-intervention. Smoking was still reported in certain areas of the hospital with 96% of passive nicotine monitors as well as self-report indicating continued smoking. Nicotine levels ranged from <0.0056 to 3.94 μg/m³), with an overall mean of .667 μg/m³. Hospitals that established stronger policies seemed to have lower levels of nicotine, suggesting a relationship between policy development and compliance. This finding is interesting but just suggestive and requires further investigation to truly demonstrate if stronger policies improve compliance and produce better outcomes.

Conclusion

As implementation strategies for smoke-free environments are improved and more resources are focused on hospitals, China is making progress toward achieving smoke-free hospitals. Using a model program could increase the prevalence of SHS policies across China. However, relying only on survey data may not provide an accurate assessment of this progress, and more extensive evaluation efforts are useful to understand how change can and does occur.

Awareness of tobacco advertising, perceived harms of smoking, and beliefs about tobacco control among a sample of Shanghainese in China

This study aims to examine beliefs among residents of Shanghai, China concerning tobacco advertising and control policies concurrent with new restrictions on tobacco use and advertising in the city. A total of 518 residents of Shanghai completed a telephone interview survey. We found that 51% of participants had seen or heard of the Zhonghua cigarette brand's 'Love China' tobacco ad campaign in the past 2 years, 59% believed that the campaign would influence people to buy this specific cigarette brand as a gift, and 30% believed that it would encourage smoking. More than 75% of respondents would support legislation banning tobacco advertising in all public places, and 88% would support legislation prohibiting smoking in all public places. Multivariate analyses indicated that those who were female, more than 50 years, have accepted college and above education, and perceived greater benefits to smoking cessation were more likely to support banning tobacco advertising and prohibiting smoking in public places. Non-smokers were more likely to support prohibiting smoking in public places. The findings suggest that although tobacco advertising is widely prevalent in Shanghai, it is disliked by the public. Respondents showed high levels of support for tobacco control policies.

Secondhand smoke exposure and intermittent claudication: a Scotland-wide study of 4231 non-smokers

OBJECTIVE

Active smoking is an important risk factor for peripheral arterial disease. In contrast, published evidence on the association with secondhand smoke (SHS) is very limited. The aim of this study was to examine the association between SHS exposure and intermittent claudication (IC) among middle aged non-smokers.

DESIGN

Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to adjust for potential confounders.

SETTING

The Scottish Health Survey, a pan-Scotland, representative survey of the general population.

PATIENTS

We conducted a cross-sectional study using the Scottish Health Surveys undertaken between 1998 and 2010. Inclusion was restricted to participants aged > 45 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Of the 4231 confirmed non-smokers (self-reported non-smokers with salivary cotinine concentrations < 15 ng/mL), 134 (3.2%) had IC based on the Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire.

RESULTS

There was evidence of a dose relationship, whereby the risk of IC increased with increasing cotinine concentration. Following adjustment for potential confounders, participants with a cotinine concentration ≥ 2.7 ng/mL were still significantly more likely to have IC (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.00; p = 0.036) compared with those with a cotinine concentration < 0.7 ng/mL. Among non-smokers, 5.6% (95% CI -0.8% to 11.7%) of cases of IC were attributable to cotinine concentrations ≥ 2.7 ng/mL and a further 3.6% (95% CI -6.6% to 12.8%) to cotinine concentrations of 0.7-2.6 ng/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

As with coronary heart disease and stroke, SHS exposure was independently associated with IC. Our findings add to the published evidence in support of protecting the general public from SHS exposure.

Protection from secondhand smoke in countries belonging to the WHO European Region: an assessment of legislation

OBJECTIVES

Comprehensive smokefree laws, as recommended by the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), are the most effective tool to protect the population from secondhand smoke (SHS) and to ensure healthy environments. Studies evaluating how laws govern SHS protection are scarce. This study assessed the level of protection from SHS of laws from countries belonging to the WHO European Region.

METHODS

A new methodology system was developed to evaluate the smokefree legislation according to the principles provided by the WHO guidelines for the correct implementation of Article 8 of the FCTC. For each law, six main sectors and 28 facilities were evaluated.

RESULTS

Overall 68 laws from 48 countries from the WHO European Region were reviewed. 'Education' and 'Public transport' were the most protected sectors from SHS. Many WHO European laws do not provide protection from SHS across all public sectors. For example, 48.5% of general health facilities and 71.2% of restaurants are unprotected from SHS. The level of protection provided in the 28 facilities studied was low; many WHO European laws still allow smoking under certain conditions, permitting smoking in designated and/or ventilated areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Nine years after the adoption of the WHO FCTC there are still legal formulas in which smoking is allowed in several facilities, through the inclusion of separated areas, ventilated areas and other conditions. Tobacco control efforts still face the challenge of eradicating the legal clauses that prevent 100% smokefree environments.

Implementation and research priorities for FCTC Articles 13 and 16: tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship and sales to and by minors

INTRODUCTION

Article 13 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) calls for a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS), and Article 16 calls for prohibition of tobacco sales to and by minors. Although these mandates are based on sound science, many countries have found provision implementation to be rife with challenges.

OBJECTIVE

This paper reviews the history of tobacco marketing and minor access restrictions in high-, middle-, and low-income countries, identifying past challenges and successes. We consider current challenges to FCTC implementation, how these barriers can be addressed, and what research is necessary to support such efforts. Specifically, we identify implementation and research priorities for FCTC Articles 13 and 16.

DISCUSSION

Although a solid evidence base underpins the FCTC's call for TAPS bans and minor access restrictions, we know substantially less about how best to implement these restrictions. Drawing on the regulatory experiences of high-, middle-, and low-income countries, we discern several implementation and research priorities, which are organized into 4 categories: policy enactment and enforcement, human capital expertise, the effects of FCTC marketing and youth access policies, and knowledge exchange and transfer among signatories. Future research should provide detailed case studies on implementation successes and failures, as well as insights into how knowledge of successful restrictions can be translated into tobacco control policy and practice and shared among different stakeholders.

CONCLUSION

Tobacco marketing surveillance, sales-to-minors compliance checks, enforcement and evaluation of restriction policies, and capacity building and knowledge transfer are likely to prove central to effective implementation.

Evolution of tobacco labeling and packaging: international legal considerations and health governance

Numerous national governments have recently adopted packaging and labeling legislation to curb global tobacco uptake. This coincides with the World Health Organization's 2011 World No Tobacco Day, which recognized the extraordinary progress of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The tobacco industry has presented legal challenges to countries, including Australia, Uruguay, and the United States, for enacting legislation meeting or exceeding FCTC obligations. We argue that national governments attempting to meet the obligations set forth in public health treaties such as the FCTC should be afforded flexibilities and protection in developing tobacco control laws and regulations, because these measures are necessary to protect public health and should be explicitly recognized in international trade and legal agreements.

Tobacco smoking, quitting, and relapsing among adult males in Mainland China: the China Seven Cities Study

INTRODUCTION

Despite an estimated 1 million tobacco-related deaths annually in China, public health officials face overwhelming barriers to implementing effective tobacco control policies and programs. Models of effective tobacco control can be adapted for Chinese tobacco use and culture based on reliable and valid data regarding predictors of smoking and abstaining.

METHODS

As part of the China Seven Cities Study to assess the role of rapid social, economic, and cultural change on tobacco use and related health practices and outcomes, 4,072 adult male smokers provided data in 3 annual waves. Measures included current smoking, nicotine dependence, readiness for quitting, perceived stress, hostility, depressive symptoms, as well as covariates (e.g., age, marital status, educational attainment, and family income).

RESULTS

Odds of being abstinent at Wave 3 were increased by: lower nicotine dependence at Wave 1 and becoming less dependent between Waves 1 and 3; progressing beyond the contemplation stage between Waves 1 and 3; perceiving less stress, whether initially at Wave 1 or over time from Wave 1 to Wave 3; and lower hostility scores at Wave 1 and decreased hostility from Wave 1 to Wave 3. Among those who quit, odds of remaining abstinent rather than relapsing by Wave 3 were higher among those who were less dependent at Wave 1 and who became less dependent from Wave 1 to Wave 3; and those who showed decreases in hostility from Wave 1 to Wave 3.

CONCLUSIONS

The public health challenge posed by very high prevalence of male smoking in China can be met by policies and programs that lead to successful long-term cessation. This can only be done successfully by designing interventions based on knowledge of the country's smokers and the current study suggests several elements.

Smoking rate trends in Korean occupational groups: analysis of KNHANES 1998-2009 data

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate changes in the smoking rate among Korean adults from 1998-2009 by gender and occupational groups.

METHODS

Using the data from the first (1998), second (2001), third (2005) and fourth (2009) waves of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), we examined men and women between 25-64 years old. Occupational groups were classified into 3 groups of non-manual workers, 5 groups of manual workers and other workers groups. The other group included the unemployed, students and housewives. Age-adjusted prevalence rates of cigarette smoking were calculated for 10-year age groups in each wave of the KNHANES. Trends in the smoking rate according to occupational groups were estimated.

RESULTS

Among male workers, decreasing trends in smoking rates were observed in non-manual workers, manual workers, and other workers. The odds ratios and prevalence ratios for the smoking rates of the manual workers comparing the non-manual workers increased from 1998 to 2005, whereas decreased to 1.38 and 1.12, respectively, in 2009. Differences in smoking rates between manual and non-manual workers increased from 1998 to 2005 but decreased from 2005 to 2009. Among female workers, the smoking rates decreased between 1998 and 2001 and increased beginning in 2001.

CONCLUSIONS

The smoking rate of the manual workers group was still higher than that of the non-manual workers group. Anti-smoking programs specific to each occupational group are needed.

The genetic correlation between cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking among Chinese adult male twins: an ordinal bivariate genetic analysis

BACKGROUND

Though multiple policies have been implemented, the cigarette control in China is still facing a great challenge. At the same time, alcohol drinking has increasingly become a public health problem. Considering cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking often co-occur, a few studies tested the covariance of these phenotypes. However, the genetic and environmental correlation between them among Chinese population has not been determined. The main aim of this study is to fill this gap.

METHODS

From the Chinese National Twin Registry, we obtained the data on cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking behaviors. The ordinal bivariate genetic analysis was performed to fit the categorical variables. After identifying the best decomposition among the Cholesky, common, and independent pathway model, we established the most parsimonious submodel.

RESULTS

The correlation between current tobacco and alcohol use could be explained by Cholesky model. The shared environmental variances for both phenotypes were dropped to construct the most parsimonious submodel. Furthermore, the most parsimonious submodel showed a moderate correlation (0.32, 95%CI=0.17-0.46) between the genetic components and a negligible non-shared environmental correlation.

CONCLUSION

As the first bivariate genetic analysis on current tobacco smoking and current alcohol drinking in China, this study suggested a common genetic vulnerability to tobacco and alcohol use in male twins. Further studies should be carried out to track the pertinent genes that are related to the comorbidity of smoking and drinking in Chinese population. Another urgent need is to recognize the behavior-specific environmental risk factors.

The growth in newspaper coverage of tobacco control in China, 2000-2010

Background

Media coverage of tobacco-related issues can potentially shape individual beliefs, attitudes and behaviors about tobacco use. This study aims to describe news coverage of tobacco control related issues in Chinese newspapers from 2000 to 2010.

Methods

All 1149 articles related to tobacco control were extracted from the Database of Chinese Important Newspapers and content analyzed for the period Jan 1, 2000 to Dec 31, 2010. The changing pattern of tobacco control topic, article type, viewpoint, and article origin, and their relationship were analysed.

Results

News coverage of tobacco control related issues increased significantly (p < 0.01) from 2000 to 2010, with news coverage being relatively intensive in May and June (p < 0.01), around World No Tobacco Day. 24.9% (n = 286) of all articles focused on secondhand smoke, 25.3% (n = 291) warned about the dangers of active smoking, and 10.0% (n = 115) focused on prevention and cessation programs and campaigns. Tobacco control topics varied significantly between national vs city/regional newspapers (χ² = 24.09, p = 0.002) and article types (χ² = 193.35, p < 0.001). Articles in national newspapers had more coverage of the dangers of tobacco and on enforcing bans on tobacco-advertising. News stories centered around monitoring tobacco use and smoke free activity, while editorials focused on enforcing bans on tobacco-advertising, youth access and programs and campaigns. Letters to editors focused on the dangers of smoking, raising tax, and smoking cessation. More articles (50.4%) took an anti-tobacco position (compared with 10.5% which were pro-smoking), with the amount of negative coverage growing significantly across the decade. National articles tended to lean toward anti-tobacco, however, local articles tended mix of pro-tobacco and neutral/balance positions. Editorials seemed to be more anti-tobacco oriented, but letters to the editor tended to show a mix of anti-tobacco and pro-tobacco positions.

Conclusion

Chinese newspapers are giving increasing attention to tobacco control, but coverage remains lower than in the USA and Australia. Health workers need to give higher priority to efforts to increase news coverage beyond the present concentration around World No Tobacco Day and to develop strategies for making tobacco control issues more newsworthy to both national and local news outlets.

Tobacco smoking in China: prevalence, disease burden, challenges and future strategies

About one-third of the world's tobacco is produced and consumed in China. Despite existing tobacco control policies and activities, the prevalence of smoking in China remains high with 350 million smokers and 740 million passive smokers. Furthermore, smoking rates in the young population and in females are increasing. The number of deaths attributed to tobacco use has reached 1.2 million per year, whereas the death toll is expected to rise to 2 million annually by 2025. Sociocultural factors favouring smoking initiation, lack of awareness among the public about the hazards of smoking, weak support from the government and strong resistance from the tobacco industry are major reasons for the lack of effectiveness of current tobacco control measures. Effective intervention efforts are urgently required. Commitments from the government are crucial in tobacco control. Firm action should be taken on tobacco control issues at multiple levels including a reduction in tobacco supply, increased tobacco taxation, increased education, tobacco advertising limitations, decreased second-hand smoke exposure and smoking cessation support. The health-care community should also play a leading role in anti-tobacco campaigns and take a more active role in smoking cessation programmes.

The nature, scope, and development of the global tobacco control epistemic community

Over the past 50 years, tobacco control has been transformed from a national to a global issue, becoming institutionalized in the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first international public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO. The global tobacco control epistemic community, a worldwide network of professionals with a common interpretation of the science in tobacco use and control, has contributed to this transformation. We investigated the development, structure, and function of this community through interviews and archival documents. Professionals in the community are bound by values and consensual knowledge developed after years of contentious debates undergirded their activities. Although these professionals play multiple roles, they recognize that scientific evidence should inform advocacy and policy activities. Public health professionals should continue to strengthen the links between science and advocacy for policy while being vigilant against industry efforts to undermine the scientific evidence on tobacco use and control.