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How effective are pictorial warnings on tobacco products? New evidence on smoking behaviour using Australian panel data

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  • Kuehnle, Daniel

Abstract

Studies examining the introduction of pictorial warnings on cigarette packages provide inconclusive evidence due to small samples and methodological issues. We use individual-level panel data from Australia to examine the association between pictorial warnings and smoking behaviour – prevalence, quitting, initiating and relapsing. The pictorial warnings were accompanied by a reference to a smoking cessation helpline and supportive television commercials. Applying an event study framework, we show that the reform reduced smoking rates by around 4% within the first year of the policy. The effect decreases with age, is similar for men and women, and is slightly larger for low-educated compared to high-educated individuals. The reform permanently lowered smoking rates primarily due to increased quitting in the year of the reform. Thus, pictorial warnings combined with a reference to a smoking cessation helpline and supportive media campaigns are an important tobacco control measure to reduce the social costs of smoking.

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  • Kuehnle, Daniel, 2019. "How effective are pictorial warnings on tobacco products? New evidence on smoking behaviour using Australian panel data," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:67:y:2019:i:c:s016762961831066x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2019.06.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Kuehnle, Daniel, 2019. "How effective are pictorial warnings on tobacco products? New evidence on smoking behaviour using Australian panel data," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    2. Adnan M. S. Fakir & Tushar Bharati, 2021. "Healthy, nudged, and wise: Experimental evidence on the role of cost reminders in healthy decision-making," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 21-13, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    3. Martin Andersen & Johanna Catherine Maclean & Michael F. Pesko & Kosali I. Simon, 2020. "Paid sick-leave and physical mobility: Evidence from the United States during a pandemic," NBER Working Papers 27138, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Manuela Fritz & Michael Grimm & Ingmar Weber & Elad Yom-Tov & Benedictus Praditya, 2022. "Uncover your risk! Using Facebook to increase personal risk awareness and screening of type 2 diabetes in Indonesia," Working Papers 221, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    5. Adnan M. S. Fakir & Tushar Bharati, 2022. "Healthy, nudged, and wise: Experimental evidence on the role of information salience in reducing tobacco intake," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(6), pages 1129-1166, June.
    6. Biplab Kumar Datta & Muhammad Jami Husain & Ishtiaque Fazlul, 2020. "Tobacco control and household tobacco consumption: A tale of two educational groups," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(10), pages 1117-1131, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pictorial warnings; Smoking; Cessation; Smoking initiation; Smoking relapse;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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