State

Smoke-free air law had no effect on off-track betting facility business activity, Indiana study finds (IN)
While there is a strong body of evidence that smoke-free air policies do not negatively affect businesses, there is less evidence to make a case for smoke-free gaming facilities. Indiana University researchers performed regression analysis to compare trends in per-capita betting at a smoke-free off-track betting (OTB) facility versus two comparison locations that permitted smoking. During the study period, all three facilities saw a decline in the per-capita betting amount, but there were no significant differences in the trends between the smoke-free and smoking facilities. Based on this data, the researchers conclude that there is no economic reason to exempt OTB facilities from smoke-free laws. Click here for more information, or click here to read the abstract of the article in Tobacco Control.

Texas SPHs assess impact of smoke-free workplaces in state (TX)
The University of Texas School of Public Health, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, and the Texas Health Institute have conducted a study examining the potential health and economic impact of smoke-free working environments in the state. The results showed that if the state enacted a smoke-free workplace law, it would save a total of $404 million, which includes $108 million in reduced healthcare costs for nonsmokers, $142 million in reduced healthcare costs of smokers who quit, and $154 million in productivity costs. The study demonstrates that passing a smoke-free workplace law would be beneficial to the Texas economy and to the health of Texans. Click here for more information.

UWM: Bartenders benefit from smoking ban (WI)
According to a study from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, bartenders in Wisconsin report having reduced secondhand smoke exposure and less symptoms of secondhand smoke exposure since the state’s smoke-free law went into effect in July 2010. A total of 531 bartenders were surveyed two months before and two months after the law was enacted to determine if there was any effect on secondhand smoke exposure, respiratory health, and support for the law. The results showed that there were significant decreases in secondhand smoke exposure at work since the law went into effect, from an average of 17.0 hours a week to 1.7 hours a week, as well as decreases in the prevalence of all reported respiratory symptoms (e.g. 16% decrease in shortness of breath; 18% decrease in sore throat; 28% decrease in red or irritated eyes). Additionally, 72% of those surveyed said that they supported the law, with the greatest increase in support coming from bartenders who smoke. Read more here, or download the full study here.

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National

Heavy smoking declines in U.S.: Biggest drops in California because of tobacco control programs, researchers say
A new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that the prevalence of heavy smoking, characterized by smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day, has dropped significantly since 1965, especially in California. Researchers used data from two large national surveys, the National Health Interview Surveys (1965-1994) and the Current Population Survey Tobacco Supplements (1992-2007), to measure the intensity of smoking among smokers in California compared to the rest of the United States by birth cohort. In 1965, 56% of U.S. smokers consumed a pack a day or more. By 2007, this prevalence decreased to 23% in California and to 40% in the rest of the country. The authors attribute the decline in heavy smoking to changes in social norms surrounding tobacco use, which promote smoking cessation and discourage initiation. California’s lower rate of heavy smoking reflects the state’s longstanding efforts in implementing smoke-free laws, tobacco taxes, and prevention and cessation programs. Click here to read more, or click here to read the study abstract.

Smoking-attributable mortality in the United States
A new study from the University of California, Berkeley produced estimates of the annual smoking-attributable mortality by age group in the United States. The researchers used data from the 1997-2004 National Health Interview Survey to calculate relative mortality hazard ratios for smokers and observed death rates for never-smokers. Controlling for confounding risk factors, the researchers estimated that 291,000 men and 229,000 women die from smoking in the U.S. each year. Although slightly higher than estimates reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these figures are considered comparable to the CDC’s statistics. Click here to read the abstract of the study, published in Epidemiology.

Effectiveness of state and federal government agreements with major credit card and shipping companies to block illegal internet cigarette sales
Researchers from the University of North Carolina have found that voluntary agreements in 2005 between governments, credit card companies, and shipping companies may have decreased the proportion of online cigarette vendors that use payment or shipping methods banned under the agreement. Researchers visited internet vendors selling cigarettes over the course of five years, assessing whether they were in business, their sales practices, prices, and website traffic. They found that after the 2005 agreement, internet cigarette vendor attrition increased, and the amount of traffic to popular websites decreased 3.5-fold. However, this was accompanied by a net increase in internet cigarette vendors and an increase in vendors using authorized payment and shipping options. The proportion that accepted banned payment options decreased from 99.2% to 37.4%, and the proportion offering banned shipping options decreased from 32.2% to 5.6%. The authors note that such voluntary agreements could work for controlling online sales of other restricted goods. Read the study abstract, published in the Public Library of Science.

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International

Economic costs attributable to smoking in China: update and an 8-year comparison, 2000–2008 (China)
New research presented in Tobacco Control suggests that the costs associated with cigarette smoking in China have increased significantly over the past decade, and will continue to grow in the future. Investigators used data from the 2003 and 2008 China National Health Services Surveys to gather information on smoking status, healthcare use, and expenditures of Chinese adults aged 35 or older. They found that the total cost of smoking in China was $17.1 billion in 2003, of which $4.2 billion was due to direct costs and $29.8 billion in 2008, of which 6.2 billion were due to direct costs. Compared to an analysis conducted in 2000, this represents an increase in direct costs by 72% in 2003 and 154% in 2008, and an increase in indirect costs by 170% in 2003 and 376% in 2008. Due to the growth of the Chinese economy and the rising healthcare expenses, the cost is expected to continue to increase. The authors suggest strengthening smoking prevention and cessation measures immediately to reduce the economic and health-related costs of smoking in China. Click here to read the study abstract.

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