Public support for tobacco control policy extensions in Western Australia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectivesPolicy makers seeking to introduce new tobacco control measures need to anticipate community support to assist them in planning appropriate implementation strategies. This study assessed community support for plain packaging and smoking bans in outdoor locations in Australia.DesignAnalytical cross-sectional survey.Setting and participants2005 Western Australian adults participated in a computer-assisted telephone interview. Random household telephone numbers were used to obtain a representative sample.Outcome measuresSupport for plain packaging of cigarettes and smoking bans at outdoor venues by demographic characteristics.ResultsAround half of the survey respondents supported plain packaging and almost a further quarter reported being neutral on the issue. Only one in three smokers disagreed with the introduction of a plain packaging policy. A majority of respondents supported smoking bans at five of the six nominated venues, with support being strongest among those with children under the age of 15 years. The venues with the highest levels of support were those where smoke-free policies had already been voluntarily introduced by the venue managers, where children were most likely to be in attendance, and that were more limited in size.ConclusionsThe study results demonstrate community support for new tobacco control policies. This evidence can be used by public policy makers in their deliberations relating to the introduction of more extensive tobacco control regulations.

Public acceptability of government intervention to change health-related behaviours: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

“…Consistently, studies reported that women had higher levels of support for a range of alcohol control policies compared to men (21/26, 81%) [15,18-20,22,38,39,42,48,66-78] and tobacco (22/32, 69%) [27,35,50,73,79-96], though three studies found higher levels of support among men for specific policies, including regulation of the tobacco industry [97], plain packaging [98], and bar workers for smoke-free workplaces [60]. These differences raise questions about the reasons why gender might impact on levels of support, and its relevance relative to other variables.…”

Australian smokers’ support for plain or standardised packs before and after implementation: findings from the ITC Four Country Survey

“…We found that 35.6% of smokers supported the policy in Australia, higher than in the USA (24.4%) and UK (27.6), but marginally lower than in Canada (37.7%). A 1992 unpublished survey found 37% of Australian smokers supporting a proposal similar to this,3 and a study in Western Australia in late 2010, about 6 months after the policy was announced but 2 years before the policy was implemented, found that 34% of smokers supported PP: only slightly lower than the percentage of smokers who opposed it (38%) 4. The similarity of the level of support among smokers across these three studies suggests that support for PP among Australian smokers was fairly stable prior to implementation.…”

State-Level Tobacco Control and Adult Smoking Rate in the United States

“…8 Cessation behaviors in high school students can be encouraged by increasing cigarette prices, 9 as well as other state and local policies, such as marketing restrictions, tobacco outlet restrictions, and clean indoor air laws. 13 Restrictions and bans on tobacco advertising, sales, promotions, and sponsorships are also important tools in reducing tobacco consumption and smoking initiation, 14 as are supports for smoking cessation, 15,16 such as insurance coverage for medication and counseling, as well as public support for telephone quitlines. 13 Restrictions and bans on tobacco advertising, sales, promotions, and sponsorships are also important tools in reducing tobacco consumption and smoking initiation, 14 as are supports for smoking cessation, 15,16 such as insurance coverage for medication and counseling, as well as public support for telephone quitlines.…”