Recall of tobacco pack health warnings by the population in Ukraine and its association with the perceived tobacco health hazard.

Objectives: After years of prevalence of smoking increase, Ukraine observes its decline. Recent tobacco control measures included smoke-free policies, new textual health warnings (THW) since late 2006, ban of outdoor tobacco advertising since January 2009 and tobacco tax increase since late 2008. The objective was to estimate potential contribution of THW to smoking decline process in Ukraine.

"The lobbying strategy is to keep excise as low as possible" - tobacco industry excise taxation policy in Ukraine.

Background: Tobacco taxes are one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use. Transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) claim they wish to develop and secure excise systems that benefit both governments and the profitability of the companies themselves. The objective of the paper is to use the case of Ukraine, with its inconsistent history of excise tax changes in 1992-2008, to explore tobacco industry taxation strategies and tactics, and their implications for governmental revenues.

Changes in smoking prevalence in Ukraine in 2001-5.

Objectives: To analyse trends in smoking prevalence in Ukraine from three surveys conducted in 2001-5, and to explore correlates of observed changes, in order to estimate the stage of tobacco epidemic in Ukraine.

Design: Repeated national interview surveys in Ukraine in 2001, 2002 and 2005.

Main Outcome Measure: Prevalence of current smoking among the population aged > or = 15 years.

Correlates of smoking initiation among young adults in Ukraine: a cross-sectional study.

Aim: To estimate the impact of smoking restrictions in homes and schools, and tobacco advertising and information on smoking initiation by young people in Ukraine.

Methods: Data of 609 young people aged 15-29 was taken from the national representative survey conducted in June 2005.

Outcome Measures: The reported age of cigarette initiation was used to characterize the start of smoking experimentation, and the reported age of daily smoking initiation was considered to be a characteristic of established smoking.