March 24, 2011 - A study conducted at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyzed Internet search data to examine the consequences of cigarette taxes. The data showed that the 2009 excise tax on cigarettes drove many smokers online to find ways to quit smoking, yet led them to shop online for tax-free or cheaper cigarettes as an alternative route. The study shows how the Internet can serve to either promote cessation or undermine efforts towards it. The study was conducted by monitoring Google searches a year before and after the tax increase. Post-taxation, the searches regarding smoking cessation increased by 50%, while searches regarding tax avoidance increased around 300%. Over time, search levels lessened, but tax avoidance remained a more popular search item. Health advocates hope to influence online behavior through targeted interventions in the future, using advertisements tailored to popular searches by smokers.

For more information, please see: http://gazette.jhu.edu/2011/03/21/for-smokers-internet-both-promotes-undermines-cessation/