Tobacco Control Intervention:A Comparative Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Video Advertisements in China and Australia

Significant differences in tobacco-control initiatives and achievements between Australia and China have been witnessed in the world,despite the fact that thecountries share the Asia-pacific region and have intimate relationships.The smoking rate in Australia has been on a downward trend since the 1980s and therefore Australia has been portrayed as a“dark market”by global tobacco industry companies.However in China,cigarette smoking is the chief killer that causes deadly health risks to both direct users of tobacco and people exposed to second-hand smoke.Non-communicable diseases due to this have caused great burden to the national medical resources.As a vital intervention tool of mass media campaign,public health advertisements on tobacco-control have played an important role in influencing the cognition and behavior of recipients.This study aims to compare the strategies adopted by the advertisements in Australia and China through corpus-driven multimodal discourse analysis to conduct quantitative analysis and qualitative case study.The results of comparative analysis indicate different pathways of tobacco-control advertisements constructions in the two countries that Australian tobacco-control advertisements achieved better in terms of health communication intervention to encourage cessation among smokers and reduce smoking initiation among potential smokers at the population level.To be compared,Chinese tobacco-control advertisements placed a heavier emphasis on the health hazards caused by second-hand smoking to protect people from the attributable morbidity and mortality.From the perspective of content theme,this study argues that Chinese tobacco-control advertisements should shift the focus to the health damage of smoking to smokers which is more targeted and fundamental.From the perspective of multimodal presentations of the video advertisements,a more prominent demonstration of the health damage is recommended.Moreover,this study argues that cultural-oriented strategies should be developed in the tobacco-control advertisements if considering the cigarette sharing and gifting social phenomenon in the Chinese society.

Impact of Village-based Health Education of Tobacco Control on the Current Smoking Rate in Chinese Rural Areas

The number of smokers in Chinese rural areas is more than 200 million, which is twice that in cities. It is very significant to carry out tobacco control interventions in rural areas. We performed this community intervention study to evaluate the efficacy of village-based health education of tobacco control on the male current smoking rate in rural areas. The population of this study was the males above 15 years old from 6 villages in rural areas. The villages were randomly assigned to intervention group or control group（3 villages in each group）. Self-designed smoking questionnaire was applied. The intervention group received the village-based health education of tobacco control for one year. The primary outcome measurement was the male current smoking rate. In the baseline investigation, completed surveys were returned by 814 male residents from the control group and 831 male residents from the intervention group. The male current smoking rate in the control group and the intervention group was 61.2% and 58.5%, respectively, before intervention. There was no significant difference between these two groups（P〉0.05）. After one-year intervention, the current smoking rate in the intervention group（51.2%） was significantly lower than that in the control group（62.8%）（P〈0.001）. Our study suggested that the village-based health education of tobacco control was effective in lowering the male current smoking rate in rural areas, which could be a suitable and feasible way for tobacco control in the Chinese rural areas.

The case for gender considerate tobacco control policies in Albania

Background:Tobacco use is a serious health concern in Albania.While the prevalence of tobacco smoking has traditionally been higher for men,the increasing prevalence of smoking for women is becoming a concern.The 2007 Tobacco Control policy mandated smoke-free indoor spaces,banned various forms of tobacco advertising,required written health warnings on packaging and levied excise taxes on cigarette sales.Since smoking behavior varies among different demographic groups,each group’s response to a uniform policy will differ,blunting the effectiveness of these efforts as a result.This study examines various socioeconomic,demographic and behavioral factors affecting both the likelihood and frequency of smoking in Albanian households in order to provide insights on targeting various populations more effectively.Methods:The study utilizes data from Albanian 2008-09 and 2017-18 Demographic and Health Surveys consisting of adults aged 15-49 years.The outcome variable includes respondents’current tobacco smoking behaviour and its frequency.The exposure variables include respondents’sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics.We use a two-level random intercept model with the two-stage residual inclusion estimation method to determine the association between outcome and exposure variables.By including a time variable,we capture the change in smoking behavior during the 2009-2018 period.We also extend the analysis by assessing the differential influence of gender on the likelihood of smoking,both by income quintiles and education.Results:The results suggest that the likelihood of smoking decreased by 23%in 2017-18 compared to 2008-09,after controlling for various socioeconomic and demographic factors.Tobacco smoking is also found to be linked to alcohol consumption,with binge drinkers 59%more likely to smoke tobacco compared to moderate drinkers.We also found significant inter-quintile and inter-educational differences in smoking practices within each gender category.While the likelihood of tobacco smoking decreases with increasing wealth and educational attainment among men,the opposite(for wealth)or more involved(for educational attainment)patterns are true among women.Conclusions:To further enhance the effectiveness of the current Tobacco Control policy,the Government of Albania should target various demographic groups(such as poor males,rich and educated females)in a differentiated fashion.

Factors influencing the tobacco control policy process in Egypt and Iran:a scoping review

Introduction:Tobacco control policy is essential for addressing the growing tobacco consumption seen in the Eastern Mediterranean Region,the single greatest preventable contributor to the non-communicable disease epidemic.Egypt and Iran have had varied success in using policy to combat this issue.The study aims to identify and compare the factors which have influenced different stages of the policy process-evidence generation,development and implementation.Methods:A scoping review was conducted with a systematic search of 7 databases which was conducted along with searches of Google Scholar,and the World Health Organisation and Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office websites to identify influencing factors at each stage of the policy process.Results:Twenty-seven relevant articles were identified from the literature search.Factors identified as influencing tobacco control policy in these countries were lobbying by the tobacco industry,the rise of water-pipe smoking,lack of political commitment and the lack of resources to for policy implementation.Iran was found to be leading Egypt on all three areas of the policy process.Implementation was found to be the most pivotal part of the policy process and the area in which Egypt was weakest compared to Iran.Conclusion:This study addresses a gap in knowledge concerning tobacco control in the Middle East and has identified multiple factors which are potentially slowing the process of enforcing policy to address tobacco consumption.Iran is the regional leader for tobacco control and it is important for Egypt to assess the transferability of its tactics and immediately start implementing measures to control tobacco use.

PEST Analysis of the Development and Challenge of Macao’s 2015 Tobacco Control Law

The Legislative Assembly of the Macao Special Administrative Region passed the 2015 Tobacco Control Laws on July 10, 2015, stimulating a heated discussion and debate in society. In this study, a content analysis of news coverage appearing in Macao Daily between July 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 was conducted. It also applied PEST method to carry out detailed analysis of the public’s opinions, aiming at gaining a better understanding of the current situation of tobacco control work in Macao and the challenges lay ahead. Moreover, we use KAP （Knowledge-Attitude-Practice） framework to propose further enhancement and improvement of government’s tobacco control work.

Does higher tax rate affect tobacco usage?Unravelling the nexus between tobacco regulatory control and public health concern

Objectives:Bangladesh stands as a prominent global consumer of tobacco,with alarming consequences on public health.The Global Adult Tobacco Survey reported that tobacco consumption claimed over 126000 lives in 2018,contributing to 13.5%of all deaths in the country.This study aims to explore the effectiveness of higher tax rates and tobacco use regulation as control mechanisms in mitigating tobacco consumption and health care cost burden,with a particular emphasis on its implications for public health.Methods:This study is based on the annual time series data over the period 2000-2020.The study employs the ordinary least square method to analyze the quantitative confirming the stationarity of data at level.This research uses different models to investigate individual effects and combined effects on both tobacco consumption and tobacco health care cost burden.Results:The study finds a negative relationship between tobacco tax rate and tobacco consumption.More specifically,the higher tax rate of tobacco(low(β=-0.3495),medium(β=-0.2319),high(β=-0.9033),premium(β=-0.7322),filtered(β=-0.2114),and non-filtered(β=-0.3452)categories)is significant to reduce tobacco use at 1%level of significance.The study finds similar results when it applied tobacco retail price instead of tobacco tax rate as the independent variable.Finally,the study investigates the impact on health care cost through tobacco consumption,tobacco control law,growth rate,export-import,and tobacco production.The results indicate that tobacco consumption,export-import,and tobacco production increases health care cost burden while tobacco use regulatory decreases it.By reducing tobacco consumption,higher taxes and tobacco use regulation contribute to alleviating the burden on the healthcare system,promoting healthier lifestyles,and aligning with global health objectives.Conclusions:Higher tax rate on tobacco products is necessary to increase the retail price so that tobacco users cannot consume tobacco.Specific tax and uniform tax base are needed so that tobacco users cannot switch to lower priced brands.Tobacco control laws need to revised and proper implementation should be ensured as well,to achieve the goal of tobacco free Bangladesh by 2040.Tobacco-related diseases,responsible for a significant proportion of deaths in the country,could witness a considerable decline with the successful implementation of higher tax rates and tobacco use regulation.This study provides insights that not only contribute to the economic discourse but also accentuate the broader public health benefits arising from effective tobacco taxation policies.

Grappling With Tobacco Control

It's reported that the British House of Commons passed a bill February 14 to ban smoking in every pub, club and indoor public space in England. The legislation is now submitted to the upper House of Lords. If passed, it will become law by mid-2007. With the ban, Britain joins Ireland, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and several U.S. states and cities, all of which have restricted smoking in public places in recent years.

Building Blocks for Tobacco Control

The tobacco epidemic is a global challenge demanding concerted global and national action. Recognizing that globalization is accelerating the epidemic’s spread and perceiving the limits of national action to contain a public health problem with transnational dimensions, Member States of the World Health Organization negotiated and adopted a unique public health treaty for tobacco control. Today, the WHO FCTC contains the blueprint for coordinated global action to address one of the most significant risks to health.

Progress on Integrated Control of Tobacco Black Shank

Tobacco black shank is one of the devastating diseases of tobacco. In recent years, this disease widely occurred in most tobacco-growing areas, which caused disastrous losses and has severely threatened the sustainable development of flue-cured tobacco. In order to lay a theoretical foundation for the better control of tobacco black shank, the occurrence characteristics and integrated control strategis of this disease were systematically discussed according to the aspects of agricultural control, chemical control, biological control, etc.

Integrated Biological Control of Tobacco Bacterial Wilt (<i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i>) and Its Effect on Rhizosphere Microbial Community

Biological control agents and soil amendments have been applied to control tobacco bacterial wilt, but the mechanism is not well-known. In the present study, a field experiment was performed to investigate the soil physicochemical properties, disease index (DI) and disease incidence of tobacco bacterial wilt, and rhizosphere microbial community. The results show that the control efficacy of single application of antagonistic bacteria and calcium cyanamide was 46.43% and 51.92%, respectively. While the combined control efficacy of antagonistic bacteria and calcium cyanamide was 65.79%. Besides, the combined application of antagonistic bacteria and calcium cyanamide could increase soil pH, total N alkaline N, and exchangeable Ca, which were negatively associated with the microbial diversity, soil-borne pathogenic microorganisms, and incidence of tobacco bacterial wilt. Additionally, the combination of antagonistic bacteria and calcium cyanamide can improve the proportion of some antagonistic microbial species, and these antagonistic microbial species were inversely associated with the DI of tobacco bacterial wilt. In conclusion: The integrated measure may influence soil microbial communities through enhancing soil physicochemical properties and rebuild healthy soil microbial community structure to mitigate tobacco bacterial wilt. The current study presented valuable insights into the mechanisms enhancing soil health in the integrated measure.

Screening, Identification and Biocontrol Effect of Antagonistic Streptomyces Strain Tra69 against Tobacco Bacterial Wilt

[Objective] The paper was to screen the biocontrol agents with good control effects against tobacco bacterial wilt. [Method] The strains with antagonistic activity against tobacco bacterial wilt were isolated from 36 copies of rhizosphere soil sample. The strain with best inhibition effect was identified, and carried out pot test and growth-promoting experiment. [Result] The strain with best inhibtion effect was Tra69, which was identified to be Streptomyces flavogriseus. The fermentation liquid of Tra69 had good control effect against Ralstonia solanacarum, and also had good growth-promoting effect on tobacco. [Conclusion] Tra69 was the biocontrol agent with excellent control effect against R. solanacarum, which could be further developed and used in biological control against tobacco diseases.

Occurrence Regularity and Control of Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) in Wuxi Tobacco Area of China in 2011

On the basis of general situation and new characteristics of tobacco mosaic virus （TMV） in Wuxi tobacco area in 2011, the paper expounded the objec-tive reasons of TMV via systemic investigation, field experiment and date sorting. Meanwhile, combined with mcteorological conditions and results of systemic inves-tigation, the study especially analyzed meteorological conditions, outbreak and prevalence regularity of TMV and control efficacy of chemical reagents against TMV. The results showed that climatic conditions were the main conditions affecting TMV. There were three occurrence peaks of TMV in 2011, as a result of meteorologi-cal conditions of the months from April to June. The peaks were concerned with a wide range of rainfall about half a month before, low temperature, high humidity and scant sunshine and temperature jump after rain. The results of control effects showed that the chemical reagents could obviously prevent TMV, but once tobacco plants were infected, spraying chemical reagents would not have effective control effect against TMV.

Effects of Early Infection of Tobacco Mosaic Virus on Photosynthetic Proteins and Its Control

[Objectives] This study was conducted to explore the optimal period of TMV control and the physiological sites that interfere with TMV infection. [Methods] Proteome analysis was performed on the host tissues(tobacco plants) at different time periods of viral infection, to verify the changes in the expression of differential protein genes and N and PR1-a in the photosynthetic pathway and porphyrin metabolism and chlorophyll metabolism pathways in proteome; and the tobacco plants were treated with different preparations. [Results] The expression levels of N and PR1-a in the tobacco leaves treated with preparation B reached the highest level, and the effects on the expression levels of the differential protein genes were also the most significant. The control effects of the preparations were tested by the half-leaf method, and the results showed that preparation B had a significant control effect against the early infection of the virus.[Conclusions] This study lays a foundation for the prevention and control of tobacco mosaic virus on crops.

Control Effects of Different Agents on Tobacco Mosaic Virus Disease

[Objectives] This study was conducted to screen out suitable agents for controlling tobacco mosaic virus disease and the best control period in Zhangzhou tobacco area, providing a theoretical basis for the control of virus diseases, thereby improving the quality of flue-cured tobacco and the income of tobacco farmers. [Methods] The effects on tobacco mosaic virus disease under the interaction between different agents and different application periods were investigated. The incidence of tobacco mosaic virus disease was investigated, and its control effect was analyzed. [Results] Different agents and different application periods had different control effects on tobacco mosaic virus disease. The incidence of tobacco mosaic virus disease: At 30 and 45 d after transplanting, the incidences of A2B1 treatment were the lowest, at 0.85%, 1.71%, respectively;and at 60 d after transplanting, the incidence of A3B1 treatment was the lowest, only 10.68%. The control effect: At 30 and 45 d after transplanting, A2B1 treatment had better control effects, reaching 79.39% and 73.06%, respectively. [Conclusions] 3% hypersensitive protein sprayed at 1 d before transplanting and 7 and 15 d after transplanting achieved the best effect, followed by 10% ningnanmycin sprayed at 1 d before transplanting and 7 and 15 d after transplanting. In tobacco production, it is recommended to apply 1 000 times dilution of 3% supersensitive protein microgranules for three times(at 1 d before transplanting and 7 and 15 d after transplanting), which can effectively prevent tobacco mosaic virus disease.

Analysis of Meteorological Epidemic Factors and Soil Improvement Controlling Technology of Tobacco Bacterial Wilt (Ralstonia solanacarum)

[Objective] The paper was to analyze the meteorological epidemic factors for occurrence and prevalence of tobacco bacterial wilt （ Ralstonia solanaca- rum）, and to study control effects of different soil conditioners on the bacterial disease in Gacligongshan demonstration area of green, ecological, high quality tobac- co leaf production. [Method] The plots attacked by tobacco bacterial wilt over the years were selected and the incidence of the disease was periodically surveyed in tobacco growth period in 2012, 2103 and 2014, respectively. 10 d Effective accumulated temperature and rainfall were counted according to the meteorological data, and the relationship between meteorological factors and disease index was analyzed. The control effects of three kinds of soil conditioners ＂Zhuanggenfeng＂, refined fulvic acid and lime on tobacco bacterial wilt were tested. [ Result] The analysis results of meteorological factors showed that 10 d effective accumulated temperature and rainfall were positively correlated to disease index. The variation curve of 10 d effective accumulated temperature and rainfall reflected the change trend of disease index. The pH values were increased by 0.57, 0.50 and 0.72 respectively after applying ＂Zhuanggenfeng＂, refined fulvic acid and lime. The aver- age control effects on tobacco bacterial wilt were 60.74% -62. 18%, 53.05% -59.53%, and 48.59% -58.53%, respectively. [ Conclusion] 10 d Effective accumulated temperature and rainfall could be used as important reference for disease forecasting and controUing. The usage of soil conditioner has a certain preven- tion and control effect on tobacco bacterial wilt disease by forming soil conditions conducive to flue-cured tobacco growth but adverse to disease survival, which is an effective auxiliary method against the disease.

Findings from 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey: Implementation of MPOWER Policy in China

Objective To assess the implementation of five key tobacco control policies in China： protection from second-hand smoke （SHS）; offering help to quit; health warnings regarding tobacco use; the enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; and increasing tobacco taxes and prices. Methods Using 2010 Global Adults Tobacco Survey in China （GATS-China）, 10 indicators are used to assess the implementation of five key tobacco control policies of MPOWER in China. Results Overall, 63.3% and 72.7% of adultsnoticed people smoking indoor workplaces and public places, respectively. Approximately 60% of smokers were not asked about their smoking habits and approximately 67% were not advised to quit on their visit to a health worker. Sixty percent of adults noticed health warning messages on cigarette packaging and in the media in the last 30 days, 63.6% stated that they would not consider quitting. Twenty percent of respondents noticed tobacco advertising, promotion, and/or sponsorship activities in the 30 days prior to the survey. Among them, 76.3% noticed the direct advertising and 50% noticed from TV programs. Although purchasing price of one pack of cigarettes ranged from 1 to 200 RMB, 50% of current smokers （about 150 million） spent 5 RMB or less on one pack of cigarette. The expenditure on 100 packets of cigarettes represents 2% of 2009 GDP per capita. Conclusion The average score for the implementation of the 5 policies of MPOWER in China is 37.3 points, indicating tobacco control policies in China is poor and there is a large gaps from the FCTC requirements.

Supporting smoking cessation in healthcare: obstacles in scientific understanding and tobacco addiction management

Despite ongoing efforts to reduce tobacco smoking, the smoking prevalence in many countries has remained stable for years. This may be a consequence of either lack of knowledge about effective ways to reduce smoking, or failing treatment of tobacco addiction in healthcare. This study explored gaps in the current understanding of smoking cessation and the challenges facing tobacco addiction management in order to formulate recommendations for future research and healthcare practice. A narrative review was written to determine areas in which more research is needed as well as areas in which sufficient knowledge is already available. Recommendations for future research were prioritised using a Delphi-procedure. Recommendations for healthcare practice were confirmed by expert’s assessment. Smoking is not widely acknowledged as an addiction and a relatively small number of smokers ask help from a healthcare professional when trying to stop smoking. Most healthcare professionals recognise the importance of advising patients to stop smoking, but experience certain barriers to actually do this. Overall, healthcare professionals need to be convinced that tobacco smoking is an addiction and should be treated likewise. If all healthcare professionals systematically advise their patients to give up smoking, eventually more smokers will successfully stop smoking.

The impact of anti-tobacco legislation on birth weight in Peru

Background:Tobacco exposure remains a significant issue for public health,especially for pregnant women.It increases the risk for premature labor,low birth weight and small for gestational age(SGA),among other effects.To reduce these risks,many countries have enacted public policies to curb tobacco exposure.Peru enacted anti-tobacco laws that forbid smoking in public places,require prevention text and images in products and publicity,along with restriction of sales to adults.We evaluated the effect of the implementation of this law on newborn outcomes:birth weight,prematurity and SGA.Methods:This was a quasi-experimental study that utilized data from the Peruvian Live Birth Registry.Children born to mothers from urban areas were the intervention group,while children born to mothers from rural areas were considered the control group.Only singletons with information on birth weight and gestational age,born to mothers aged 12 to 49 years were included in the study.In addition,newborns with birth weights greater than+4 standard deviations(SD)or less than−4 SD from the gestational age-specific mean were excluded.To measure the effect of legislation on birth weight we performed a difference in differences analysis.Results:A total of 2,029,975 births were included in the analysis.After adjusting for characteristics of the mother and the child,and contextual variables,the anti-tobacco law in Peru reduced the incidence of prematurity by 30 cases per 10,000 live births(95%CI:19 to 42).Conclusions:The reform had negligible effects on overall birth weights and on the incidence of SGA.This modest result suggests the need for a more aggressive fight against tobacco,prohibiting all types of advertising and promotion of tobacco products,among others measures.

The Impact of Tobacco Taxation Policy on Slim Cigarette Use and the Growing Popularity of Slim Cigarettes in China Since 2014

Introduction: In 2016, China became the largest market for slim cigarettes in the world, selling 68.945 billion sticks. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of China’s 2015 tobacco taxation policy on slim cigarette consumption and the product’s market trends. Methods: Monthly data on the market share of slim cigarettes and their average price between January 2014 and June 2017 were used to show tobacco market trends and to estimate the impact of the 2015 tobacco tax increase on tobacco consumption. Segmented regression analysis was used to estimate the immediate effect of the 2015 tax policy and the time trends in consumption due to the policy change. Findings: After the tobacco tax increase was announced in May 2015, the market share of slim cigarettes initially decreased by 0.2117 (p = 0.067). However, by the third month after the policy change, consumption began to increase, and the market share of slim cigarettes was 1.6 times the normal increase over time. Slim cigarettes gained a 2.02% additional share by the second quarter of 2017 (from 2.58% to 4.60%), controlling for the price difference between slim cigarettes and regular cigarettes. The coefficient of the share and the price ratio (slim cigarettes/regular cigarettes) was ?0.7536 (p = 0.0044), suggesting that slim cigarettes are a substitute for regular cigarettes. Estimates also show that after the tax increase was implemented, consumption of slim cigarettes increased almost three times the normal consumption rate (0.0069 versus 0.0024). Conclusion: The slim cigarette industry in China has grown rapidly in recent years. The 2015 tax increase has had only minimal or short-term impact on reducing the growing popularity of slim cigarettes. Since slim cigarettes are a substitute for regular cigarettes, more empirical research is urgently needed to study the health impacts of slim cigarette use and the impact of tobacco control policies on slim cigarette consumption.