Estimating the Smoking Ban Effects on Smoking Prevalence, Quitting and Cigarette Consumption in a Population Study of Apprentices in Italy.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the effects of the Italian 2005 smoking ban in public places on the prevalence of smoking, quitting and cigarette consumption of young workers.


METHODS
The dataset was obtained from non-computerized registers of medical examinations for a population of workers with apprenticeship contracts residing in the province of Viterbo, Italy, in the period 1996-2007. To estimate the effects of the ban, a segmented regression approach was used, exploiting the discontinuity introduced by the application of the law on apprentices' smoking behavior.


RESULTS
It is estimated that the Italian smoking ban generally had no effect on smoking prevalence, quitting ratio, or cigarette consumption of apprentices. However, when the estimates were applied to subpopulations, significant effects were found: -1% in smoking prevalence, +2% in quitting, and -3% in smoking intensity of apprentices with at least a diploma.
Department of Political Science, University of Perugia, via Pascoli 20, 06123 Perugia, Italy. luca.pieroni@unipg.it.
Luca
L
Pieroni
Unit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Lucio Severi, 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy. giacomo.muzi@unipg.it.
Giacomo
G
Muzi
Dipartimento di Prevenzione, ASL Viterbo, Via Enrico Fermi 15, 01100 Viterbo, Italy. augusto.quercia@asl.vt.it.
Augusto
A
Quercia
Unit of Public Health, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Lucio Severi 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy. dlanari@stat.unipg.it.
Donatella
D
Lanari
School of Public Health, University of Perugia, Piazzale Lucio Severi 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy. carmen.rundo@libero.it.
Carmen
C
Rundo
Unit of Public Health, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Lucio Severi 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy. liliana.minelli@unipg.it.
Liliana
L
Minelli
Department of Political Science, University of Perugia, via Pascoli 20, 06123 Perugia, Italy. luca.pieroni@unipg.it.
Luca
L
Salmasi
Unit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Lucio Severi, 1, 06132 Perugia, Italy.
Marco
M
dell'Omo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
apprenticeship contracts; segmented regression; smoking bans; tobacco consumption