Impact of tobacco control policy on quitting and nicotine dependence among women in five European countries

Abstract

Objective Describe differences in and factors associated with former smoking and nicotine dependence among women in Ireland, Sweden, France, Italy and the Czech Republic. Methods A cross-sectional, random digit dial telephone survey of 5000 women, ages 18 and older, conducted in 2008. Analyses were conducted using logistic regression models. Results Respondents from Ireland and Sweden had statistically significantly higher odds of having quit smoking within the 5 years prior to survey administration as compared with respondents from the Czech Republic. Current smokers from Ireland, Sweden, France and Italy are more nicotine dependent than those from the Czech Republic. Conclusions Respondents from countries with stronger tobacco control policies were more likely to be have quit smoking compared with those living in the Czech Republic. However, respondents in countries with some of the strongest policies (Ireland, Sweden, France and Italy) had higher odds of smoking within 30 minutes of waking, an established indicator of nicotine dependence. More research in this area is warranted, but this study suggests that: 1) now that the Czech Republic is beginning to implement strong tobacco control policy, they will likely achieve a rapid decline in population-level smoking; and 2) Ireland, Sweden, France, Italy and other countries with established, strong tobacco control policies would do well to consider what additional programs they can put in place to help their highly nicotine dependent population of smokers successfully quit.

Current and past smoking patterns in a Central European urban population: a cross-sectional study in a high-burden country

“…The quit ratio of 55.2 (57.1 male and 53.2 female) in our study was remarkably higher than those in former Soviet Union (fSU) and Baltic countries and more consistent with estimates from two comparative European studies that were inclusive of East European countries [ 4 , 27 ]. Our estimates were closer to quit ratios in southern Europe and yet lower than in countries in the north, as in the study by Shaap et al In the latter, the quit ratios in the Czech sample (2002) were slightly lower than our estimates while the magnitude of association between education and quitting was consistent with our findings [ 4 ].…”

Did hardening occur among smokers in England from 2000 to 2010?

“…With the proportion highly dependent being much greater than those with low motivation, measures targeted specifically at high dependence groups may therefore be warranted with the aim of reducing dependency in the smoker population. A similar recommendation was made in a recent European study [35], that found that female smokers in countries with welldeveloped tobacco control policies, such as Ireland and Sweden, tended to have higher dependence than those in countries yet to establish these. Targeted measures could include harm reduction interventions such as the provision of pharmacotherapies for reduction as a first step towards quitting, or more targeted and tailored mass media campaigns for heavy smokers.…”

Prevalence of tobacco dependence and associated factors in China: Findings from nationwide China Health Literacy Survey during 2018–19

“… 10 Due to the use of these different instruments, the reported prevalence of tobacco dependence in current smokers varies greatly, ranging from 22% to 69% across different studies. 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 In China, no national data on tobacco dependence is available, with only several small epidemiological studies reporting the prevalence of this condition. 12 , 14 …”