Time trend of cigarette smoking from 2001 to 2013 in Taiwan :Effect of different policies

Introduction:

Increasing cigarette taxes and strengthening smoke-free air laws are known to reduce smoking prevalence. We want to know the impact of the Tobacco Health Surcharge (2002) and the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (January, 2009) on smoking behavior and exposure to secondhand smoke in Taiwanese adults (³ 18 years).

Method:

There were 72918 adults combined from the 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). Smoking status was asked, as well as sex, age, marital status, level of urbanization of residential area, income, employment status, alcohol consumption, and betel nut chewing. Weighting and statistical analyses were carried out using SAS and SUDAAN.

Results:

In males, the prevalence of smoking significantly decreased (prevalence rates across the 4 surveys were 44.4%, 44.6%, 38.9% and 34.2%, respectively). Since 2005 the rate of smoking cessation increased significantly (p=0.033). This increase was most noticeable in those aged 40-64 years. Comparing the exposure of secondhand smoke in 2005, the OR in 2009 and 2013 were 1.15(CI=1.03-1.28) and 0.87(CI=0.78-0.97), whereas in females they were 0.85(CI=0.78-0.93) and 0.72(CI=0.66-0.78), respectively.

Discussion:

This study found that the 2002 Tobacco Health Surcharge helped people to quit smoking and facilitated tobacco harm prevention education. In the 2005 survey, the prevalence of smoking cessation demonstrated a statistically significant increase in men. In 2009, the implementation of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Amendment Act was followed by a clear decrease in the prevalence of smoking and an even greater increase in smoking cessation. In addition, exposure to secondhand smoke showed a large decrease in the workplace.