%0 Journal Article %J Int J Environ Res Public Health %D 2010 %T The impact of school tobacco policies on student smoking in Washington State, United States and Victoria, Australia. %A Evans-Whipp, Tracy J %A Bond, Lyndal %A Ukoumunne, Obioha C %A Toumbourou, John W %A Catalano, Richard F %K Adolescent %K Cross-Sectional Studies %K Female %K Humans %K Male %K Organizational Policy %K Smoking %K Social Class %K Students %K Tobacco %K Victoria %K Washington %X

This paper measures tobacco policies in statewide representative samples of secondary and mixed schools in Victoria, Australia and Washington, US (N = 3,466 students from 285 schools) and tests their association with student smoking. Results from confounder-adjusted random effects (multi-level) regression models revealed that the odds of student perception of peer smoking on school grounds are decreased in schools that have strict enforcement of policy (odds ratio (OR) = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.25 to 0.82; p = 0.009). There was no clear evidence in this study that a comprehensive smoking ban, harsh penalties, remedial penalties, harm minimization policy or abstinence policy impact on any of the smoking outcomes.

%B Int J Environ Res Public Health %V 7 %P 698-710 %8 2010 Mar %G eng %N 3 %R 10.3390/ijerph7030698