Higher taxes on cigarettes and laws banning public smoking both induce people to give up the habit, but bans work better, according to a study led by an Ohio State University sociology professor.
Researchers found the strongest deterrent in places with both a ban and relatively high cigarette taxes, according to the study released on Monday. But in places with only one or the other, the anti-smoking effect was about twice as strong in places with a ban.
Mike Vuolo, an assistant professor of sociology at Ohio State who led the study, said another important finding is that bans have their greatest effect on casual, or social, smokers — offering the opportunity to turn them into nonsmokers before they become addicted.
Bans apparently don’t have as strong a deterrent effect on heavy smokers, defined as those who smoke a pack or more per day. Conversely, the study showed high cigarette taxes are more of a deterrent to heavy smokers than to social ones.
via www.dispatch.com
