Litigation against the tobacco industry is any attempt to challenge the tobacco industry through judicial process. This update summarizes healthcare cost recovery legislation and litigation against the tobacco industry, by Canadian provincial and ter
Comprehensive tobacco control includes prohibition of tobacco sales in specific places in order to decrease the physical availability of tobacco products. This Update discusses current legislation in Ontario about where tobacco products can be sold,
Taxation is a policy tool used to increase the retail price of tobacco products in order to decrease their economic accessibility. This update discusses the effect of the introduction of Ontario’s harmonized sales tax on the price of cigarettes in th
Substantial government funding is necessary if tobacco control strategies are to be effective in reducing tobacco related illness and death. This update reviews the status of funding commitments for tobacco control in Ontario and other provincial, te
Taxation is a policy tool used to increase the retail price of tobacco products in order to decrease their economic accessibility. This update summarizes the amount of tax on cigarettes and roll your own tobacco by provincial, territorial and federal
This update summarizes recent Canadian healthcare cost recovery lawsuits against the tobacco industry and litigation efforts related to contraband. International efforts are also reviewed, particularly those in the US, a global leader in litigation a
Comprehensive tobacco control includes prohibition of tobacco sales in specific places in order to decrease the physical availability of tobacco products. A key aspect of availability is outlet density, meaning how many places sell tobacco per unit o
Taxation is a policy tool used to increase the retail price of tobacco products thereby decreasing their economic availability. This update outlines Ontario’s commitment to raise taxes on tobacco products and compares the Ontario levels of taxation w
As part of the goal area of prevention, comprehensive tobacco control policy includes restrictions on youth access to tobacco products. Age-related tobacco legislation is a means of curtailing the availability of tobacco to a demographic group which
Comprehensive tobacco control policy includes restrictions on the sale of tobacco from a range of retail sources.The purpose of this type of policy is to decrease the availability, promotion and use of tobacco products while at the same time encourag
The retail environment acts as an inducement to smoking not only by virtue of the physical availability of tobacco products but also by means of visual cues that signal, support, and normalize this availability.Recognizing the danger to public health
April 2020 The following is a monthly list of selected journal articles and reports on tobacco topics. Please note that this list is not all-inclusive. We try to choose titles of interest to our tobacco control network, but we realize that there are
July 2022 The following is a monthly list of selected journal articles and reports on tobacco topics. Please note that this list is not all-inclusive. We try to choose titles of interest to our tobacco control network, but we realize that there are m
May 2023 The following is a monthly list of selected journal articles and reports on tobacco topics. Please note that this list is not all-inclusive. We try to choose titles of interest to our tobacco control network, but we realize that there are ma
Abstract A restriction banning the sale of tobacco products to underage youths (youth access) is a central component of tobacco control programmes that aim to minimise the use of tobacco products by youths. This restriction has been in place in numer
The main goal of this evaluation was to explore the implementation and impact of TFSR policies within the sport of hockey in four Ontario public health units (PHUs) and examine the barriers and facilitators in TFSR policy implementation. This report
A range of smoking cessation interventions are available to help Ontario smokers quit. This report identifies common intake and follow-up indicators and measures recommended for adult smoking cessation service providers in Ontario.
This paper includes a literature review and jurisdictional scan of policies related to compliance and enforcement measures to reduce youth access to e-cigarettes.
Abstract The home is a significant source of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure for many children and, therefore, increasingly a focus of intervention, although evidence of effectiveness remains equivocal. However, little is known about the n
Editorial On the 24 March, the tobacco advisory group of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in England published its report on passive smoking and children. The report details the effects of exposure to secondhand smoke in children and includes a
Tobacco cessation interventions by healthcare providers have been shown to significantly increase cessation rates. Three surveys were conducted in 2013, 2015 and 2017 to explore the state of tobacco cessation practices and services in the Central Wes
Since 2013, OTRU has provided local program planning and evaluation services for Smoke-Free Ontario partners though the Knowledge and Evaluation Support initiative. The services provided, challenges and outcomes are summarized. This centralized servi
This newsletter provides a snapshot of two current projects supported by OTRU’s Knowledge and Evaluation Support Team: an evaluation of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act Outdoor Smoking Restrictions using data from four case study locations across Ontario,
This series summarizes findings from a pilot study to test a systematic approach to understanding what cessation services are and are not available at local levels and assess the feasibility of developing a comprehensive regional cessation system bas
This series summarizes findings from a pilot study to test a systematic approach to understanding what cessation services are and are not available at local levels and assess the feasibility of developing a comprehensive regional cessation system bas
This series summarizes findings from a pilot study to test a systematic approach to understanding what cessation services are and are not available at local levels and assess the feasibility of developing a comprehensive regional cessation system bas
This series summarizes findings from a pilot study to test a systematic approach to understanding what cessation services are and are not available at local levels and assess the feasibility of developing a comprehensive regional cessation system bas
In response to the demand for accountability and performance management information, OTRU is developing a performance reporting system. This Update describes the development of the Performance Indicators Monitoring system (PIMS). PIMS is designed for
This series summarizes findings from a pilot study to test a systematic approach to understanding what cessation services are and are not available at local levels and assess the feasibility of developing a comprehensive regional cessation system bas
The Ontario Tobacco Research Unit has launched a new provincial survey monitoring tobacco use and opinions about tobacco control to inform the progress of the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy. The Ontario Tobacco Survey is a major cross-sectional and pane
Significant developments took place in Ontario during 2002. Salient among these was the continued progress by local communities in passing and implementing smoke-free bylaws. An increasing number of Ontarians are now protected from the harmful effect
As waterpipe use has increased around the world, it has become a growing public health concern. This update examines the latest population survey data about the prevalence of waterpipe use in Ontario, patterns of use, beliefs and attitudes about use
Abstract Background: As of 1 January 2017, the Canadian province of Ontario banned the distribution and sale of menthol tobacco products. There is limited knowledge about how tobacco companies will adapt their packaging in response to a menthol ban.
Abstract Introduction: As smoking prevalence declines, some suggest that so-called “hardcore” smokers will come to represent a growing and irreducible proportion of current smokers (“hardening hypothesis”). Different definitions of a “hardcore” smoke
Abstract Objective: Trial testimony from the United States provides a unique opportunity to examine strategies of the American tobacco industry. This paper examines congruence between the arguments for tobacco control policy presented by representati
Abstract Background: E-liquid products have exploded in Canada over the last number of years. Although current federal regulations apply to some aspects of these products (eg, Made in Canada designation, net quantity, French/English text), there are
In 2016/2017, OTRU, in collaboration with key stakeholders, assessed the implementation and impact of new tobacco and e-cigarette policy measures being implemented in Ontario. This report provides an overview of key findings, focusing on implementati
In 2016/2017, OTRU, in collaboration with key stakeholders, assessed the implementation and impact of new tobacco and e-cigarette policy measures being implemented in Ontario. This report provides an overview of key findings, focusing on implementati
Smoking prevalence among indigenous groups globally often exceed that of non-Indigenous and settler populations in the same regions or nations. In 2016, OTRU published a systematic review on the efficacy of interventions to reduce commercial tobacco
Household telephone surveys provide an important tobacco-control tool for research, monitoring and evaluation, and policy-making, but declining response rates of surveys and various measurement issues are undermining the quality and utility of survey