Evidence map›Paper›PMID 15175535›Full record

ArticleTobacco control2004

The effectiveness of tobacco sales ban to minors: the case of Finland.

A H Rimpelä, S U Rainio

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Tobacco control, 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 56 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. What is the Relationship Between Raising the Minimum Legal Sales Age of Tobacco Above 20 and Cigarette Smoking? A Systematic Review.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. The Association Between Tobacco Outlet Density and Smoking Among Young People: A Systematic Methodological Review.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2021
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Compliance with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Slovakia and in Finland: Two Different Worlds.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020
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  14. Predictors of different cigarette access behaviours among occasional and regular smoking youth.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

A H RimpeläTampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland.
S U Rainio
Tampere University · FITampere University · FI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo evaluate the effects of the 1977 and 1995 tobacco sales bans on tobacco acquisition of minors.

designBiennial nationwide postal surveys (adolescent health and lifestyle survey, AHLS) in 1977-2003; annual classroom surveys (school health promotion survey, SHPS) in 1996-2003. SETTING AND

participantsEntire Finland-12, 14, 16, and 18 year olds (AHLS, n = 80 282); eighth and ninth graders (14-16 year olds) (SHPS, n = 226 681).

main outcome measuresPurchase of tobacco from commercial sources during the past month, purchase from different commercial (shop, kiosk, other outlet) and social sources, ease of buying tobacco, overall acquisition of tobacco products, daily smoking, tobacco experimenting.

resultsDecrease in tobacco purchase from commercial sources was small and short term after 1977 but large and permanent after 1995: purchase rate among 14 year old smokers diminished from 90% to 67% in 2003, 16 year olds from 94% to 62%. Purchases in shops decreased most (14 year olds: from 39% to 14%; 16 year olds: from 76% to 27%); purchases in kiosks less. An increase was observed in obtaining tobacco from other outlets and friends (social sources). Only 2-3% of 14-16 year old smokers used commercial sources exclusively when obtaining tobacco. Daily smoking began to decrease after 2001, following an earlier decrease in those experimenting. No changes were observed among age groups not targeted by the ban.

conclusionsLegislation appears to have permanently changed tobacco sales practices and decreased purchases from commercial sources. Social sources need to be taken into account when controlling access to tobacco. Sales bans should be accompanied by other health promotion measures.

Indexed as

AdolescentCommerceFemaleFinlandHealth PromotionHealth SurveysHumansLife StyleMaleMinorsProgram EvaluationSchool Health ServicesSmokingSmoking Prevention

Identifiers

PMID15175535
PMCPMC1747848
OpenAlexW2101315081

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.