Economic analysis of public smoking policies.

Summary This article synthesizes the results of research conducted in economics on tobacco consumption regulation policies. It presents the conceptual framework in which economic analysis is situated, and shows that price and information policies, if they have had an effect in the past, are now reaching their limits. It is therefore necessary to invent new forms of regulation, which are not paternalistic but target the populations most at risk. Among these, the poorest people should be the focus of more attention, since they have not changed their behavior, or have done so only slightly, in response to public health policies.