The indicator is a composite index summarizing regulations implemented by health (and other) authorities on smoking restrictions in specified (public) domains.
Calculation
The index is based on data in the WHO tobacco control database. It is computed as the sum of scores of the following seven components:
smoking restrictions in health care facilities
smoking restrictions in education facilities
smoking restrictions in government facilities
smoking restrictions in bars/restaurants
smoking restrictions in indoor workplaces and offices
smoking restrictions in theatres and cinemas
smoking restrictions in public transport (7 items, including bus, taxi, train, domestic air, international air, domestic water, international water)
For each component the data allow three levels of scoring:
0 no restriction or prohibition
1 partial restriction, or voluntary agreement
2 complete ban or prohibition
Components 1-3 and 5-6 are given as such in the database.
For components 4 and 7, a combination is made, respectively, from separate scores for bars and restaurants, and from the seven types of public transport recorded separately.
For component 4: 00 and 01 count as 0; 11, 20 and 21 count as 1; 22 count as 2.
For component 7: each subcategory is scored 0-2; compute the sum and subtract the subcategory which is not relevant for the country (e.g. int. water for inland countries); divide the sum by the number of remaining subcategories; round to the nearest integer.
In this manner the total score ranges between 0 and 14.
Relevant dimensions and subgroups
Calendar year
Country
Preferred data type and data source
Preferred data type
information from national governments
Preferred data source
WHO-Euro tobacco control database
Data availability
Data availability for this indicator in the different EU Member States will be mapped in detailed availability overviews and published on this website in due time.
Data periodicity
See work to do-section.
Rationale
Indicator provides a good index with respect to actual measures aimed at creating smoke free areas. Such policies contribute to lowering ETS exposures and thus lowering health risks.
Remarks
By its basic definition and calculation method, the indicator is similar to indicator 3.7 in the ENHIS (European Environment and Health Information System): ‘Policies to reduce the exposure of children to ETS’.
However, the ENHIS indicator is intended to focus on children. This is expressed by the choice in ENHIS to leave out the workplace (above numbers 3 and 5) as relevant domain and to include the sales to minors. The ECHIM indicator is meant to be broader but to include the relevance for children. Therefore, ECHIM has included the two workplace domains (3 and 5) into the index. On the other hand, ECHIM has excluded the advertisement and sales components, thus restricting the indicator to domains of smoking restrictions.
Besides this, the clear intention is to coordinate the work with ENHIS as a specialized agency in the area, and to coordinate the update calculations. The concept of the indicator is based on the ECOEHIS project.
For data presentation, see the website www.ENHIS.org. Updates are regularly provided by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health in Bonn.
A problem in the indicator’s interpretation may be that the existence of similar formal measures in different countries may not imply similar levels of enforcement in practice.
Definition
