Cigarette and Tobacco Consumption: Have Anti‐Smoking Policies Made a Difference?

Abstract

The consumption of cigarette and tobacco products in Australia is modelled using the rational addiction theory of Becker and Murphy, augmented by data on advertising, regulatory intervention, and demographic factors. Over the past 35 years, price (including tobacco taxes), real income, and demographic effects explain most of the variation in tobacco consumption. Advertising by tobacco companies has had a relatively small direct effect on consumption. Work‐place smoking bans and health warnings on cigarette packs have had a relatively minor impact, while anti‐smoking advertising and bans on electronic media advertising have had no detectable direct effect.