Given the toll taken by cigarette use, a number of public policies have been implemented to control tobacco use. The choice of public policy varies considerably between and within countries, allowing for a natural experiment in the study of the effects of tobacco control on the demand for and use of cigarettes. Examples of tobacco control policies include prohibition of paid-for advertising for tobacco products, promotion of smoke-free policies, and excise taxes on tobacco products (85). Since countries do differ greatly in the prevalence of cigarette use, potentially due to differences in cultural norms and attitudes towards cigarette use, results might not replicate across countries. In general, studies have found that smoking restrictions in public places have a negative effect on average cigarette consumption by smokers, such as smoking restrictions in restaurants, limited cigarette sale through vending machines, and smoking restrictions in shopping areas (86) and workplaces (87). And, as summarized from one systematic review, increasing taxes on tobacco products independently reduces smoking prevalence among youth and adults, while banning smoking in public places reduces the prevalence of smoking among the general population, and mass media campaigns reduce the initiation of smoking in youths and prevalence in adults (88).
