The Tobacco Control Scale
| Table notes. Cigarette price: Gross Domestic Product can be expressed in PPS (purchasing Power Standard). PPS per capita has been used to take account of real purchasing power in different countries; points are awarded using the same method as for public information campaign spending. Public information campaign spending: the top country, the UK, is awarded 15 points; the UK ratio (spending/GDP) is then divided by 15 and the resulting number gets 1 point; countries achieve points for multiples of that number. For a more detailed explanation please see tobcon url. Advertising: television is the medium most used for tobacco advertising in countries with no advertising restrictions; outdoor advertising (e.g. posters) is a prominently used medium when television advertising is banned; indirect advertising (e.g. clothing, watches, or other products with cigarette branding, is the industry’s favoured loophole when there are otherwise comprehensive advertising bans. Why rankings for price and spending? PPS takes account of affordability within a country. This introduces a (constantly changing) ratio, rather than absolute figures. In order to simplify this abstract ratio ranking system, we attributed the highest score to the country with the highest ratio. The method is best understood by consulting the raw data and resulting points scored, on the website. | |
| Price of cigarettes and other tobacco products | 30 |
| Price of Marlboro, and price of most popular price category, in January 2005 – additive | |
| The price of Marlboro in January 2005, taking into account Gross Domestic Product per capita expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS). Country with highest price ratio receives 15 points. (see notes) | 15 |
| The price of a packet of cigarettes in the most popular price category in January 2005, taking into account Gross Domestic Product per capita expressed in the PPS. Country with highest price ratio receives 15 points. | 15 |
| Smoke free work and other public places on 1 July 2005 | 22 |
| Workplaces excluding cafes and restaurants – one only of | 10 |
| Complete ban without exceptions (no smoking rooms); enforced | 10 |
| Complete ban, but with closed, ventilated, designated smoking rooms; enforced | 8 |
| Complete ban, but with ventilated, designated smoking rooms; enforced | 6 |
| Meaningful restrictions; enforced | 4 |
| Legislation, but not enforced | 2 |
| Cafes and restaurants – one only of | 8 |
| Complete ban; enforced | 8 |
| Complete ban, but with closed, ventilated, designated smoking rooms; enforced | 6 |
| Meaningful restrictions; enforced | 4 |
| Legislation, but not enforced | 2 |
| Public transport and other public places – additive | 4 |
| Complete ban in domestic trains without exceptions | 1 |
| Complete ban in other public transport without exceptions | 1 |
| Complete ban in educational, health, government and cultural places without exceptions | 2 |
| OR Ban in educational, health, government and cultural places, but with designated smoking areas or rooms | 1 |
| Spending on public information campaigns in 2004 | 15 |
| Tobacco control spending by the government in 2004, as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Country with highest ratio receives 15 points (see notes). | |
| Comprehensive bans on advertising and promotion on 1 July 2005 | 13 |
| Points for each type of ban included – additive | |
| Complete ban on tobacco advertising on television | 3 |
| Complete ban on outdoor advertising (e.g. posters) | 2 |
| Complete ban on advertising in print media (e.g. newspapers and magazines) | 2 |
| Complete ban on indirect advertising (e.g. cigarette branded clothes, watches, etc) | 2 |
| Ban on point of sale advertising | 1 |
| Ban on cinema advertising | 1 |
| Ban on sponsorship | 1 |
| Ban on internet advertising | ½ |
| Ban on radio advertising | ½ |
| Large direct health warning labels on 1 July 2005 | 10 |
| Rotating health warnings | 2 |
| Size of warning – one only of | 4 |
| 10% or less of packet | 1 |
| 11 – 25% of packet | 2 |
| 26 – 40% of packet | 3 |
| 41% or more of packet | 4 |
| Contrasting colour (e.g. black lettering on white background) | 1 |
| A picture | 3 |
| Treatment to help dependent smokers stop | 10 |
| Quitline – one only of | 2 |
| Well funded national quitline or well funded quitlines in all major regions of country | 2 |
| OR National quitline with limited funding or a patch work of small local quitlines | 1 |
| Network of smoking cessation support | 3 |
| Reimbursement of treatment | 3 |
| Cessation support network covering whole country (3); free (3) | 6 |
| Cessation support network, but only in selected areas, e.g. major cities (2); free (3) | 5 |
| Cessation support network covering whole country (3), partially free (2) | 5 |
| Cessation support network, but very limited, just a few centres (1), free (3) | 4 |
| Cessation support network, but only in selected areas, e.g. major cities (2), partially free (2) | 4 |
| Cessation support network covering whole country (3), not free (0) | 3 |
| Cessation support network, but very limited, just a few centres (1), partially free (2) | 3 |
| Cessation support network, but only in selected areas, e.g. major cities (2); not free (0) | 2 |
| Cessation support network, just a few centres (1), not free (0) | 1 |
| Reimbursement of medications – one only of | 2 |
| Reimbursement of pharmaceutical treatment products | 2 |
| OR Partial reimbursement of pharmaceutical treatment products | 1 |
| Maximum possible score | 100 |