Reducing harm

This review assesses evidence of the effectiveness of three aspects of tobacco con- trol policy (sales restrictions, restrictions on location of smoking, and taxation and pricing), and the extent to which these tobacco control policies are gen- der-biased and have a differential impact on three vulnerable populations of male and female smokers. [...] During the 1960s, several reports (Report of the Royal College of Physicians, 1962; U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 1964) established the harmful effects of smoking, and by the 1980s, the Government of Canada took action to address the tobacco epidemic. [...] In the short-term, the FTCS has goals to increase the percentages of adults and youth who have never smoked; while decreasing the prevalence and quantity of tobacco use among adults (18+ years), 12 to 17 year-olds, Aboriginal peoples, economically-disadvantaged people, and pregnant women; and decreasing the percentages of adults, youth, and children (under 12 years) who are exposed to environmenta [...] The goal of this better practices review is to assess the evidence of the effec- tiveness of three aspects of tobacco control policy on the general population and diverse groups of male and female smokers, including, Aboriginal peo- ple, adolescents, and individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds. [...] METHODOLOGY A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE was undertaken to identify evidence of the impact of three aspects of tobacco control policy: taxation and pricing of tobacco products, restrictions on sales, and restrictions on locations where smoking is permitted.