Monitoring tobacco habits and consumption

Summary

SIRUS monitors the smoking habits of the population on a yearly basis using detailed information obtained by the Directorate of Health's tobacco surveys which began in 1973. Changes in smoking prevalence, snuff use and social inequality in smoking are monitored continuously. It is also important to monitor unregistered tobacco consumption. There are three other ways of obtaining tobacco apart from purchasing it legally from vendors: it can be bought on shopping trips across the border to Sweden and Denmark; it can be bought as a duty free article when travelling abroad (tax-free shopping); and it can be smuggled illegally into the country. This consumption is not registered in the Norwegian economy, and does not generate domestic tax revenue for the state. The magnitude of unregistered tobacco consumption affects the ability of special taxation on tobacco to promote health through regulating consumption. Data derive from quarterly surveys conducted by Statistics Norway for the Directorate of Health of smoking habits in the population (Tobacco Consumption Surveys), and monthly tobacco sales reports compiled by the Customs and Excise Service. SIRUS will additionally be collecting data in 2012 on the smoking habits of the population as part of a wider survey of alcohol and drug use. Self-reported sources of supply (cross border, duty free) of cigarettes and snus (low nitrosamine smokeless tobacco, Swedish type) are monitored by the tobacco use survey.