187141 Comparison of smoking prevalence trends between California and the rest of the United States

Monday, October 27, 2008

Wael K. Al-Delaimy, MD, PhD , Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Alice L. Mills, MD, MPH , Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Martha M. White, MS , Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
John P. Pierce, PhD , Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
Background: to evaluate the long term influence and success of comprehensive tobacco control programs such as the one implemented by California, long-term comparative smoking prevalence data is needed.

Methods: Smoking prevalence data from 1990 and up to 2005 were calculated for adults from the California Tobacco Survey (CTS), Tobacco Use Supplement of the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Data on per capita cigarette tax sales were also calculated as a measure of consumption. For adolescent, data were collected from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the California Student Survey (CSS).

Results: Adult smoking prevalence in California declined by 0.3% per year between 1990 and 2005 and reached 14.7% in 2005 while the rest of the country declined by only 0.17% per year and reached 20.6% in 2005. In 1989, at the start of the California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP), the average packs per capita per month sold in California was 19% lower than the rate for the rest of the United States; by the end of 2005, this difference had increased to 49%. For adolescents, smoking prevalence in California in 1991 was similar to the rest of the country, whereas by 2005, California adolescents were approximately 50% less likely to smoke than adolescents in the nation.

Conclusions: Following implementation of a comprehensive tobacco control program in 1990, California has experienced greater decline in smoking-related trends than the rest of the United States but more progress is needed.

Learning Objectives:
1. recognize the importance of comprehensive tobacco control programs 2. Assess the difference in tobacco use in California compared to the rest of the US 3. Identify the influence of tobacco industry efforts in countering tobacco control and prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the PI of the California Tobacco Survey and have been involved in tobacco control and prevention research and academic activities for more than a decade
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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