Prohibit to stop smoking

The strict controls on the sale of cigarettes to young people can also reduce smoking in adults, according to a new study by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis , U.S.

States with greater restrictions on the sale of cigarettes for teenagers also had lower smoking rates in adults, especially among women, according to the researchers. In addition, those states also presented a lower number of adults who smoke.

"In most states, for many years, it has been illegal to sell cigarettes to children under 18, but some provisions have been established to prevent those sales," he explains. Richard Grucza, the lead author of the study and associate professor of psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis , according to a press release from the university.

"This study shows that more restrictive policies can prevent teen smoking and be beneficial in the future."

He and his colleagues examined data from more than 105,000 people between 1998 and 2007, aged 18 to 34, who participated in an ongoing survey of National Cancer Institute r, which oversees smoking behavior throughout the country.

It was analyzed if people had ever smoked, if they were current smokers and, if so, if they smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day.

The researchers focused on nine policies related to smoking. In states with stricter rules and enforcement, 17-year-olds had more difficulty buying cigarettes, and were less likely to smoke when they were between 20 and 30 years old, according to the study published online on June 13 in the journal American Journal of Health.

"We estimate that if all states had effective policies, the prevalence of tobacco use would be reduced by 14%, and smoking rates by 29%," said Grucza.

According to the study, the following were the four restrictions were the most effective:

1. The elimination of cigarette vending machines or their collation to places of difficult access for those under 18 years of age.
2. Identification requirements for the purchase of cigarettes
3. Cigarette packaging restrictions, to prevent them from being sold five or 10 at a time, as well as in place of the entire pack of 20 cigarettes.
4. The prohibition of the free distribution of cigarettes at public events.

"Many states have not yet adopted all of these policies, and in 2006, which is the last year for which data is available, only four states require photo identification for purchase, while 20 states did not have any requirements. of identification at all, so there's still a lot of room for improvement, "said Grucza.

However, as more states implement the more restrictive anti-tobacco policies and enforce them, there could be further reductions in smoking rates, he added.

More information . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention They have more information about youth and tobacco.


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