2008 Portuguese tobacco law: what are the effects on smoking rates?

Abstract

In 2008, Portugal implemented a smoking ban, restricting smoking in workplaces and indoor public places. The aim of this study is to understand whether there was any effect in smoking prevalence due to the ban. Using the 4th Portuguese National Health Survey and an online survey collected in 2012, designed for this project, a probit model was estimated. The conclusions were that, so far, the ban seems to have been unable to counteract an apparent increase in young adult smoking. Young adult smokers are characterized by starting at an older age (18 years old) and being mainly light smokers (78%).