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. 2013 Nov 7:2013:596957.
doi: 10.1155/2013/596957. eCollection 2013.

Smoking prevalence increases following Canterbury earthquakes

Nick Erskine  1 , Vivien Daley, Sue Stevenson, Bronwen Rhodes, Lutz Beckert
Affiliations

Smoking prevalence increases following Canterbury earthquakes

Nick Erskine et al. ScientificWorldJournal. .

Abstract

Background: A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Canterbury in September 2010. This earthquake and associated aftershocks took the lives of 185 people and drastically changed residents' living, working, and social conditions.

Aim: To explore the impact of the earthquakes on smoking status and levels of tobacco consumption in the residents of Christchurch.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were carried out in two city malls and the central bus exchange 15 months after the first earthquake. A total of 1001 people were interviewed.

Results: In August 2010, prior to any earthquake, 409 (41%) participants had never smoked, 273 (27%) were currently smoking, and 316 (32%) were ex-smokers. Since the September 2010 earthquake, 76 (24%) of the 316 ex-smokers had smoked at least one cigarette and 29 (38.2%) had smoked more than 100 cigarettes. Of the 273 participants who were current smokers in August 2010, 93 (34.1%) had increased consumption following the earthquake, 94 (34.4%) had not changed, and 86 (31.5%) had decreased their consumption. 53 (57%) of the 93 people whose consumption increased reported that the earthquake and subsequent lifestyle changes as a reason to increase smoking.

Conclusion: 24% of ex-smokers resumed smoking following the earthquake, resulting in increased smoking prevalence. Tobacco consumption levels increased in around one-third of current smokers.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age distribution in years of the 1001 participants who participated in the survey. Note the slight overrepresentation of the 15–19 year age group.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prior to the Christchurch earthquake, 409 (41%) participants were never smokers, 316 (32%) were ex-smokers, and 273 (27%) were current smokers. Three participants (0.3%) were not sure about their smoking status in August 2010.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Of the 316 ex-smokers at the time of the earthquake 76 (24%) relapsed into their smoking habit following the earthquakes.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Change of smoking level in 2012 compared to the baselines smoking level in August 2010 in participants who continued to smoke.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ministry of Health. Tobacco Use in New Zealand: Key Findings from the 2009 New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Health; 2010.
    1. NZ House of Representatives. 2010 Report of the Māori Affairs Committee. Inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori.
    1. Government Response to the Report of the Maori Affairs Committee on its Inquiry into the tobacco industry in Aotearoa and the consequences of tobacco use for Maori (Final Response) Presented to the New Zealand House of Representatives in accordance with Standing Order 248.
    1. Statistics New Zealand 2006 Census, http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage.aspx.
    1. Ponniah S, Bloomfield A. Sociodemographic characteristics of New Zealand adult smokers, ex-smokers, and non-smokers: results from the 2006 Census. The New Zealand Medical Journal. 2008;121(1284):34–42. - PubMed

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