How Effective Are Pictorial Warnings on Tobacco Products? New Evidence on Smoking Behaviour Using Australian Panel Data

Daniel Kühnle ()
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Daniel Kühnle: University of Duisburg-Essen
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Daniel Kuehnle ()

No 12400, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

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.

Keywords: smoking relapse; smoking initiation; cessation; smoking; pictorial warnings (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I14 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 53 pages
Date: 2019-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published - published in: Journal of Health Economics, 2019, 67, 102215

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Journal Article: How effective are pictorial warnings on tobacco products? New evidence on smoking behaviour using Australian panel data (2019)
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