Attitudes of school administrators and teachers towards the ‘smoke-free air zone’ policy in Turkish schools

Abstract

Objective: Schools are likely to be better able to achieve compliance with smoke-free regulations if principals and teachers perceive the importance of a smoke-free policy. The purpose of this study was to measure teacher and administrator attitudes towards the smoke-free policy in Turkish schools, which promotes a total smoking ban. Method: The target population of the study was from primary and high schools on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. Data were collected from 373 teachers and administrators from 134 schools. Variance and discriminant analyses were used to examine the data for associations of attitude with gender, occupation, smoking status, and other characteristics. Results: It was found that overall teacher and administrator attitudes towards the ban on smoking in schools fell in the ‘undecided’ range. Smokers and those with a high level of nicotine addiction had less positive attitudes towards the smoke-free regulation compared to nonsmokers and those with a lower level of nicotine addiction. It was determined that the most discriminative items in the questionnaire for teacher and administrator attitudes had to do with strict implementation of the regulation and enforcement with fines. Regardless of smoking status and nicotine addiction, teachers and administrators affirmed that ‘it is needed to allow an open area for smokers’. Conclusions: In light of these results, it appears the smoke-free policy is viewed not only in terms of teachers’ behaviour as role models but also in terms of their personal rights.