Effects of population tobacco control interventions on social inequalities in smoking

Population level tobacco control interventions have the potential to benefit more disadvantaged groups and to reduce health inequalities, suggests a new systematic review published ahead of print in the journal Tobacco Control.

Reducing social inequalities in smoking and its health consequences is a public health and political priority. However, little is known about the actual effects of measures to reduce health inequalities in general or about the differential impacts of tobacco control measures in particular.

This systematic review was conducted by researchers from the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the universities of Liverpool and Cambridge. The aim was to assess the effects of population tobacco control interventions on social inequalities in smoking.

The review combines 84 previous studies and represents the most comprehensive and robust review to date of the potential effects on heath inequalities of population-level tobacco control interventions and makes an important contribution towards understanding the effects of interventions in different social groups.

In terms of reducing social inequalities in smoking, the researchers found evidence to support increasing the price of tobacco products. However, further increases in tobacco taxation may require extra measures to support cessation among low-income households.

The evidence on restrictions on sales to minors suggests that these may be effective in deterring younger smokers, though their effectiveness depends on enforcement.

Little evidence was found of policies that have the potential to increase inequalities. In particular, no strong evidence was found that smoking restrictions in workplaces and public places are more effective among more advantaged groups.