Anti-Smoking Messages and Intention to Quit—17 Countries, 2008–2011

May 31, 2013 / Vol. 62 / No. 21

MMWR Introduction

Evidence has shown that anti-tobacco mass media campaigns reduce smoking prevalence by encouraging smokers to quit and by preventing young people from initiating smoking. Data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) shows that among most of the 17 countries analyzed, awareness of anti-smoking information in mass media significantly increased the odds that a current smoker intended to quit. The 17 countries surveyed are Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and Viet Nam.

For nine of the 17 countries, smokers who saw anti-cigarette information in one media channel were significantly more likely to intend to quit smoking. The probability that a smoker was thinking about quitting in the next year increased by 33 percent in the Russian Federation up to an increase of 90% in Romania. In 14 of the 17 countries, smokers who saw anti-cigarette information in multiple media channels were significantly more likely to intend to quit smoking. The probability increased by 60% in Egypt up to an increase of 309% in Bangladesh.