Effective policy tools for tobacco control: Canadian public health practitioners’ perspectives

Abstract

This study canvased perspectives from public health practitioners who work in tobacco control in Canada to determine which policy tools or instruments–regulation, moral suasion, or taxation–or policy tool mixes are perceived to be the most effective in combatting tobacco consumption. Email interviews of public health practitioners (n = 11) were administered and thematically coded both deductively and inductively, as they possess a deeper, practical understanding of the nuances and feasibility of tobacco policy tool use. Four themes emerged: (1) No policy tool is perfect; (2) There is no standard measure of effectiveness; (3) Limitations in power to impact policy and technical knowledge exist, and; (4) The need for additional efforts with attention to cessation. The policy tools perceived as most effective were taxation, due to the focus on increased price, and regulation, due to the focus on restrictions on where smoking can take place. The findings suggest there is no standard for “effective” tobacco control policy and raise questions about how different public health practitioners determine what is effective, highlighting a need to determine indicators of effectiveness before inception of policy. Respondents tended to discuss limitations in power to impact policy and in their knowledge of evidence for policy tool effectiveness. Therefore, interventions that focus on knowledge translation may improve policy design and outcomes. There was a strong view that tobacco cessation work is incomplete.