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SHORT REPORT
Are political views related to smoking
and support for tobacco control policies?
A survey across 28 European countries
| 1 | Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health,
Imperial College, London,
UK |
| 2 | Center for Health Services Research, School of Medicine, National and
Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece |
| 3 | Laboratory of Toxicology,
Medical School, University of Crete, Rethimno, Greece |
| 4 | Department of
Healthcare, Faculty of Public Health, University of Vlora, Vlora, Albania |
| 5 | Institute of Public Health, American College of Greece, Athens, Greece |
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Filippos T. Filippidis
Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College, 310 Reynolds Building, St. Dunstan’s Road, W6 8RP, London, UK
Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College, 310 Reynolds Building, St. Dunstan’s Road, W6 8RP, London, UK
Submission date: 2017-07-21
Acceptance date: 2017-12-05
Publication date: 2017-12-08
Tob. Induc. Dis. 2017;15(December):45
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Background:
General political views are rarely considered when discussing public support for tobacco control policies and tobacco use. The aim of this study was to explore potential associations between political views, smoking and support for tobacco control policies.
Methods:
We analysed responses from 22,313 individuals aged ≥15 years from 28 European Union (EU) member states, who self-reported their political views (far-left [1–2 on a scale 1–10]; centre-left (3-4); centre (5-6); centre-right (7-8); and far-right (9-10) in wave 82.4 of the Eurobarometer survey in 2014. We ran multi-level logistic regression models to explore associations between political views and smoking, as well as support for tobacco control policies, adjusting for socio-demographic factors.
Results:
Compared to those placing themselves at the political centre, people with far-left political views were more likely to be current smokers (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.13; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.01–1.26), while those in the centre-right were the least likely to smoke (OR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.76–0.93). Similar associations were found for having ever been a smoker. Respondents on the left side of the political spectrum were more likely to support tobacco control policies and those on the centre-right were less likely to support them, as compared to those at the political centre, after controlling for smoking status.
Conclusions:
General political views may be associated not only with support for tobacco control policies, but even with smoking behaviours, which should be taken into account when discussing these issues at a population level. Further research is needed to explore the implications of these findings.
General political views are rarely considered when discussing public support for tobacco control policies and tobacco use. The aim of this study was to explore potential associations between political views, smoking and support for tobacco control policies.
Methods:
We analysed responses from 22,313 individuals aged ≥15 years from 28 European Union (EU) member states, who self-reported their political views (far-left [1–2 on a scale 1–10]; centre-left (3-4); centre (5-6); centre-right (7-8); and far-right (9-10) in wave 82.4 of the Eurobarometer survey in 2014. We ran multi-level logistic regression models to explore associations between political views and smoking, as well as support for tobacco control policies, adjusting for socio-demographic factors.
Results:
Compared to those placing themselves at the political centre, people with far-left political views were more likely to be current smokers (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.13; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.01–1.26), while those in the centre-right were the least likely to smoke (OR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.76–0.93). Similar associations were found for having ever been a smoker. Respondents on the left side of the political spectrum were more likely to support tobacco control policies and those on the centre-right were less likely to support them, as compared to those at the political centre, after controlling for smoking status.
Conclusions:
General political views may be associated not only with support for tobacco control policies, but even with smoking behaviours, which should be taken into account when discussing these issues at a population level. Further research is needed to explore the implications of these findings.
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CITATIONS (9):
1.
German Public Support for Tobacco Control Policy Measures: Results from the German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA), a Representative National Survey
Melanie Boeckmann, Daniel Kotz, Lion Shahab, Jamie Brown, Sabrina Kastaun
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Melanie Boeckmann, Daniel Kotz, Lion Shahab, Jamie Brown, Sabrina Kastaun
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
2.
Study protocol of EUREST-PLUS - European Regulatory Science on Tobacco: Policy Implementation to Reduce Lung Disease
Constantine Vardavas, Nicolas Bécuwe, Tibor Demjén, Esteve Fernández, Ann McNeill, Ute Mons, Yannis Tountas, Antigona Trofor, Aristides Tsatsakis, Gernot Rohde, Marc Willemsen, Krzysztof Przewoźniak, Witold Zatoński, Geoffrey Fong
Tobacco Induced Diseases
Constantine Vardavas, Nicolas Bécuwe, Tibor Demjén, Esteve Fernández, Ann McNeill, Ute Mons, Yannis Tountas, Antigona Trofor, Aristides Tsatsakis, Gernot Rohde, Marc Willemsen, Krzysztof Przewoźniak, Witold Zatoński, Geoffrey Fong
Tobacco Induced Diseases
3.
Public support for tobacco control policies: The role of the protection of children against tobacco
Thomas G. Kuijpers, Marc C. Willemsen, Anton E. Kunst
Health Policy
Thomas G. Kuijpers, Marc C. Willemsen, Anton E. Kunst
Health Policy
4.
Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Tobacco-Free Executive Order on Employee Tobacco Use
Ellen Hahn, Melinda Ickes, Amanda Wiggins, Rayens Kay, Bradley Polivka, Parento Whelan
Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice
Ellen Hahn, Melinda Ickes, Amanda Wiggins, Rayens Kay, Bradley Polivka, Parento Whelan
Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice
5.
Analysing incompliant attitudes towards antibiotic prescription completion in the UK
Alistair Anderson
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Alistair Anderson
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
6.
Mapping and comparing French people’s positions regarding restrictive control policies: a pilot study
Sylvie Castanié, Sastre Munoz, Lonzozou Kpanake, Etienne Mullet
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
Sylvie Castanié, Sastre Munoz, Lonzozou Kpanake, Etienne Mullet
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
7.
Public Support for E-Cigarette-related Policies among a Nationally Representative Sample of US Adults
Lauren Czaplicki, Randall Simpson, Yitong Zhou, Minal Patel, Alison Cuccia, Donna Vallone, Barbara Schillo
Tobacco Use Insights
Lauren Czaplicki, Randall Simpson, Yitong Zhou, Minal Patel, Alison Cuccia, Donna Vallone, Barbara Schillo
Tobacco Use Insights
8.
National Support for a Menthol Cigarette Sales Ban
Lauren Czaplicki, Barbara Schillo, Shyanika Rose, Yitong Zhou, Donna Vallone
Public Health Reports
Lauren Czaplicki, Barbara Schillo, Shyanika Rose, Yitong Zhou, Donna Vallone
Public Health Reports
9.
Beyond the European Union Tobacco Products Directive: smokers’ and recent quitters’ support for further tobacco control measures (2016–2018)
Sarah Nogueira, Pete Driezen, Marcela Fu, Sara Hitchman, Olena Tigova, Yolanda Castellano, Christina Kyriakos, Mateusz Zatoński, Ute Mons, Anne Quah, Tibor Demjén, Antigona Trofor, Krzysztof Przewozniak, Paraskevi Katsaounou, Geoffrey Fong, Constantine Vardavas, Esteve Fernández
Tobacco Control
Sarah Nogueira, Pete Driezen, Marcela Fu, Sara Hitchman, Olena Tigova, Yolanda Castellano, Christina Kyriakos, Mateusz Zatoński, Ute Mons, Anne Quah, Tibor Demjén, Antigona Trofor, Krzysztof Przewozniak, Paraskevi Katsaounou, Geoffrey Fong, Constantine Vardavas, Esteve Fernández
Tobacco Control
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