Support for tobacco control interventions: do country of origin and socioeconomic status make a difference?

OBJECTIVE

To examine the attitudes to various tobacco control regulations among smokers from four different countries and explore differences by country and socioeconomic status.

METHODS

Questions relating to tobacco regulation were asked of adult smokers from the 2007-2008 International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC4). Measures included attitudes to tobacco industry and product regulation, and measures of socioeconomic status and economic disadvantage.

RESULTS

Overall smokers supported greater regulation of the tobacco industry with least supportive US smokers and most supportive Australian smokers. Reporting smoking-related deprivation and a lower income was independently associated with increased support for regulation of the tobacco industry (both p≤0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Policy-makers interested in doing more to control tobacco should be reassured that, for the most part, they have the support of smokers, with greatest support in countries with the strongest regulations. Smokers economically disadvantaged by smoking were more supportive of government policies to regulate the tobacco industry suggesting that reactance against regulation is not likely to differentially contribute to lower cessation rates in this group.