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Environmental Determinants of Smoking Behaviors: The Role of Policy and Environmental Interventions in Preventing Smoking Initiation and Supporting Cessation

  • Smoking and Lifestyle (R Huxley, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Tobacco control strategies have contributed to substantial declines in smoking in the United States. However, smoking still remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature deaths in the country. Despite the continuing challenges of implementing tobacco control strategies and the pervasive influence of the tobacco industry to undermine such strategies, there are now unprecedented opportunities to prevent smoking initiation, facilitate cessation, and protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. In this paper, we briefly review the most recent literature discussing key strategies that have proven effective in tobacco control including regulations on marketing and sales of tobacco products, taxation, and smoke-free legislation. We focused on these 3 tobacco control strategies because of their potential to positively influence the environment of both minors and adults regardless of their smoking status. Although research has identified significant individual and social predictors of tobacco use, environmental influences are also important risk factors for tobacco use.

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Acknowledgments

WAC was supported by The University of Texas School of Public Health Cancer Education and Career Development Program – National Cancer Institute / NIH Grant R25CA57712. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the offıcial views of the National Cancer Institute or the NIH.

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William A. Calo declares that he has no conflict of interest. Sarah Krasny declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Division of Management, Policy and Community Health, The University of Texas School of Public Health, 7000 Fannin, Suite 2568, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    William A. Calo

  2. Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA

    Sarah Krasny

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  1. William A. Calo
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Correspondence to William A. Calo.

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Calo, W.A., Krasny, S. Environmental Determinants of Smoking Behaviors: The Role of Policy and Environmental Interventions in Preventing Smoking Initiation and Supporting Cessation. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 7, 446–452 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12170-013-0344-7

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