Oral

Research suggests that not all tobacco policies have the intended effects on all populations. Tobacco control policy may lead to unintended consequences that can be harmful or helpful to those impacted by them. For example, clean-indoor air laws can contribute to increased litter. In response, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome proposed a tax hike on cigarettes to pay for clean-up in outdoor areas that were littered with smokers' cigarette butts. Furthermore, research shows that tobacco control policy may have unintended consequences on priority populations. It becomes critical that we take into consideration the harmful and helpful effects of tobacco policies on diverse populations, as new policies are passed and implemented, including smoke-free laws and the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009. This session highlights recent research findings from papers that address unintended consequences and were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in August of 2009. Summary results suggest that 1) smokefree laws are not being enforced in bars and among certain priority populations, 2) smokefree laws may encourage solidarity among smokers or influence women to smoke in unsafe environments, and 3) through its strategic advocacy work, the tobacco industry has been successful at getting women's organizations to support its policy position. Discussants will analyze the implications of these findings for reducing inequalities among priority populations, and for implementing smokefree laws and FDA Regulation.

Session Objectives: Explain what an unintended consequence of tobacco control policy might be Identify at least three unintended consequences of tobacco control policy on low socioeconomic status (SES) women. List positive and negative unintended consequences of tobacco control policy. Analyze relevance of unintended consequences of tobacco control policy to priority populations, and when implementing smoke-free laws and FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)