Cigarette prices and smoking prevalence after a tobacco tax increase--Turkey, 2008 and 2012.

Raising the price of tobacco products has been shown to reduce tobacco consumption in the United States and other high-income countries, and evidence of this impact has been growing for low- and middle-income countries as well. Turkey is a middle-income country surveyed by the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) twice in a 4-year period, in 2008 and 2012. During this time, the country introduced a policy raising its Special Consumption Tax on Tobacco and implemented a comprehensive tobacco control program banning smoking in public places, banning advertising, and introducing graphic health warnings. The higher tobacco tax took effect in early 2010, allowing sufficient time for subsequent changes in prices and smoking to be observed by the time of the 2012 GATS. This report uses data from GATS Turkey to examine how cigarette prices changed after the 2010 tax increase, describe the temporally associated changes in smoking prevalence, and learn whether this smoking prevalence changed more in some demographic groups than others. From 2008 to 2012, the average price paid for cigarettes increased by 42.1%, cigarettes became less affordable, and smoking prevalence decreased by 14.6%. The largest reduction in smoking was observed among persons with lower socioeconomic status (SES), highlighting the potential role of tax policy in reducing health disparities across socioeconomic groups.

[Mental problems and impulsivity reported by adolescents: an epidemiological study]. / Ergenlerin Bildirdigi Dürtüsellik Belirtileri ve Ruhsal Sorunlar: Epidemiyolojik Bir Çalisma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether number of self-reported impulsivity symptoms was associated with conduct problems, substance use, academic problems, relational problems and exposure to physical violence in adolescents. METHOD: A survey was developed to be used in a nationally representative general community sample. A 2-staged, stratified and clustered sampling was used. For the first stage (school selection) an equal probability, systematic random sampling and for the second stage (class selection) a simple random selection was used. The statistical analysis included the full and usable surveys obtained from 26009 students (97.5% of the invited sample). RESULTS: After parental education, parental employment, economic status and age; presence of antisocial behaviors; substance abuse; and exposure to physical violence were controlled, presence of even one self-reported impulsivity symptom was associated with physical violence, frequent smoking, frequent alcohol use, substance use, self injurious behaviors, carrying weapons, gang membership, poor relations with others, academic failure and poor mental health. ORs increased with the number of self-reported impulsivity symptoms for several behaviors. Several other associations among conduct problems, substance use, academic failure and relational problems are also reported. CONCLUSION: Even one definite impulsivity symptom must be addressed since it is associated with serious behavioral and relational problems. There may be dose-response interaction between the number of definite impulsivity symptoms and behavioral and relational problems.