scholarly journals Are smokers “hardening” or rather “softening”? An ecological and multilevel analysis across 28 European Union countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 1900596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariadna Feliu ◽  
Esteve Fernandez ◽  
Cristina Martinez ◽  
Filippos T. Filippidis

BackgroundTobacco control policies can reduce smoking prevalence. These measures may be less effective where smoking prevalence has significantly declined, as the remaining smokers have “hardened”. Our aim was to empirically evaluate the “hardening hypothesis” at the population level in the European Union (EU) and explore factors associated with hardcore smoking.MethodsWe conducted two separate analyses in the EU using data on smoking from the Eurobarometer surveys (2009–2017, n=112 745). 1) A panel-data fixed-effects linear regression to investigate changes over time in the percentage of hardcore smokers in relation to standardised smoking prevalence at the country level. 2) A multilevel logistic regression analysis with hardcore (daily smokers, ≥15 cigarettes per day who have not attempted to quit in the last 12 months) or light (<5 cigarettes per day) smoking as the dependent variable and time as the main independent variable, controlling for individual and ecological variables.ResultsWe studied 29 010 current smokers (43.8% hardcore smokers and 14.7% light smokers). The prevalence of hardcore smoking among adult smokers increased by 0.55 (95% CI 0.14–0.96) percentage points per each additional percentage point in the overall smoking prevalence. The odds of being a hardcore smoker increased over time and were higher in middle-aged males and people with financial difficulties, while the odds of being a light smoker significantly declined among females.ConclusionThis study does not support the “hardening hypothesis” in the EU between 2009 and 2017, but suggests a softening of the smoking population. Existing tobacco control policies are likely to be suitable to further decrease smoking prevalence in Europe.

2019 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 108594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrián González-Marrón ◽  
Juan Carlos Martín-Sánchez ◽  
Queralt Miró ◽  
Nuria Matilla-Santander ◽  
Àurea Cartanyà-Hueso ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Schiavone ◽  
C Anderson ◽  
U Mons ◽  
V Winkler

Abstract Background Second-hand smoke (SHS) is still an important public health problem. With joining the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), all parties acknowledged the health risks of SHS and agreed to implement policies to protect their populations from SHS in public places. The aim of this study was to explore the SHS exposure in restaurants and bars as well as its associations with smoke-free legislation in the European Union. Methods Data of Eurobarometer surveys 2014 and 2017 were used to estimate prevalence of SHS exposure. We also extracted data on individual confounders such as smoking status, gender, sex, age and information on social economic status. Additionally, we collected data on country specific data on smoking regulations in restaurants and bars from the Tobacco Control Scale to analyse associations with SHS exposure using multilevel logistic regression. Smoking regulations were categorized into the following three categories: partial ban, comprehensive ban with minor exceptions, and complete ban. Results Preliminary results on the prevalence of SHS in restaurants showed a decrease from 11.8% (95% confidence intervals (CI) 11.2-12.5) in 2014 to 8.8% (95% CI 8.3-9.3) in 2017. The crude multilevel model controlling only for smoking prevalence resulted in an odds ratio of 0.39 (95% CI 0.19-0.77) for comprehensive ban with minor exceptions and 0.28 (95% CI 0.16-0.50) for complete ban versus partial ban. Odds ratios remained at significant levels when controlling for all available confounders. Conclusions Between 2014 and 2017, SHS exposure in restaurants decreased significantly. Furthermore, strong associations with smoking regulations were observed suggesting a high compliance. Many tobacco control policies have been introduced during the last years but several countries need to strengthen their smoke-free tobacco control policies to further reduce SHS exposure preventing death, disease and disability. Key messages SHS exposure remains a significant public health challenge. The implementation of effective measures could be strengthened through a convergence of tobacco control strategies and policies among European Union member states.


2018 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2017-054119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariadna Feliu ◽  
Filippos T Filippidis ◽  
Luk Joossens ◽  
Geoffrey T Fong ◽  
Constantine I Vardavas ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariadna Feliu ◽  
Luk Joossens ◽  
Filippos T. Filippidis ◽  
Geoffrey T. Fong ◽  
Constantine I. Vardavas ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (March) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Anthony Laverty ◽  
Filippos Filippidis ◽  
Esteve Fernandez ◽  
Constantine Vardavas

2019 ◽  
pp. 89-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quinn Slobodian ◽  
Dieter Plehwe

Since the advent of the European debt crisis in 2009, it has become common to hear descriptions of the European Union as a neoliberal machine hardwired to enforce austerity and to block projects of redistribution or solidarity. Yet by adopting an explanatory framework associating neoliberalism with supranational organizations like the EU, NAFTA, and the WTO against the so-called populism of its right-wing opponents, many observers have painted themselves into a corner. The problems with a straightforward compound of “neoliberal Europe” became starkly evident with the success of the “leave” vote in the Brexit referendum in 2016. If the EU was neoliberal, were those who called to abandon it the opponents of neoliberalism? If the EU is indeed the “neoliberalism express,” then to disembark was by definition a gesture of refusal against neoliberalism. To make sense of the resurgent phenomenon of the far right in European politics, then, our chapter tracks such continuities over time and avoids misleading dichotomies that pit neoliberal globalism—and neoliberal Europeanism—against an atavistic national populism. The closed-borders libertarianism of nationalist neoliberals like the German AfD is not a rejection of globalism but is a variety of it.


Author(s):  
Kreuschitz Viktor ◽  
Nehl Hanns Peter

This concluding chapter explores EU's anti-subsidy instruments, which are designed to address subsidization by other WTO members. After a hesitant start, the EU since 1995 has progressively used the AS instrument to act against subsidization by third-country governments. While initially focusing on relatively clear-cut export subsidies, over time the EU has more and more also countervailed domestic subsidy programmes. This is clearest in the AS cases initiated against China during the past five years, where the majority of the countervailed programmes have consisted of domestic subsidies. In this context, it is important to note that the findings of specificity reached by the EU in cases concerning China are largely based on the use of facts available, resulting from the imposition of very high burdens of proof on the Chinese government that domestic subsidies in fact are not specific.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (e2) ◽  
pp. e102-e109 ◽  
Author(s):  
May C I van Schalkwyk ◽  
Martin McKee ◽  
Jasper V Been ◽  
Christopher Millett ◽  
Filippos T Filippidis

BackgroundThe tobacco industry (TI) can act to undermine the impact of tobacco tax increases by adopting various pricing strategies. Little is known about strategies used across the European Union (EU), except for the UK.AimTo examine pricing strategies adopted by the TI in the EU, and whether they differ by cigarette price segment, or between manufactured and roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes.MethodsThis is a longitudinal analysis of commercial pricing data for manufactured and RYO cigarettes from 23 EU countries in 2006–2017. Price and revenue trends were explored. Linear regression estimated the average annual change in revenue, and linear fixed-effects panel regression models were used to explore the association between changes in median revenue (net of tax and adjusted for inflation) and tax increases in different price segments of manufactured cigarettes.ResultsOver the 11-year period price gaps were observed in all countries. The average annual adjusted median net revenue per pack increased in 19 of 23 countries for manufactured and RYO cigarettes. A tax increase was associated with a significant decrease of −€0.09 in adjusted median net revenue per pack (95% CI −0.16 to −0.03) in the cheap cigarette price segment, while no change was detected in the expensive cigarette price segment (−€0.05, 95% CI −0.11 to 0.01).ConclusionAcross the EU, pricing strategies adopted by the TI maintained or increased price gaps and retained cheaper tobacco products in the market, diminishing the impact of tobacco tax increases. Further strengthening of tobacco taxation policy is needed to maximise public health impact.


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