Placing smoking prevalence in the context of tobacco control measures in Europe

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recommends tobacco control measures. The implementation of these measures in Europe is assessed using the Tobacco Control Scale. The aim of this analysis is to examine smoking behaviour in European countries in the context of national measures to curb tobacco consumption. Methods: In addition to analysing current tobacco consumption, the relationship between the 2019 Tobacco Control Scale results, including policy areas, and smoking prevalence in 29 European countries was examined based on data from the third wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS 3). This was visualised using scatter plots and analysed using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Results: On average, 24.4 % of adults in Europe smoke, with substantial differences between countries. There are also some clear differences between the sexes, with a higher proportion of men than women smoking in all countries studied. A higher overall score on the Tobacco Control Scale is associated with a lower smoking prevalence among both women and men. Negative correlations are also evident between smoking prevalence and the policy areas of smoking cessation support and advertising bans. Conclusions: Consistent implementation of tobacco control measures is associated with lower smoking prevalence in Europe. This highlights the importance of comprehensive tobacco control strategies to reduce tobacco consumption.