Abstract
BackgroundSome countries have started to extend indoor smokefree laws to cover cars and various outdoor settings. However, policy-modifiable factors around smoker support for these new laws are not well described.MethodsThe New Zealand (NZ) arm of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Survey (ITC Project) derives its sample from the NZ Health Survey (a national sample). From this sample we surveyed adult smokers (n = 1376).ResultsFor the six settings considered, 59% of smokers supported at least three new completely smokefree areas. Only 2% favoured smoking being allowed in all the six new settings. Support among Maori, Pacific and Asian smokers relative to European smokers was elevated in multivariate analyses, but confidence intervals often included 1.0.Also in the multivariate analyses, "strong support" by smokers for new smokefree area laws was associated with greater knowledge of the second-hand smoke (SHS) hazard, and with behaviours to reduce SHS exposure towards others. Strong support was also associated with reporting having smokefree cars (aOR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.21 - 2.34); and support for tobacco control regulatory measures by government (aOR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.32 - 2.01). There was also stronger support by smokers with a form of financial stress (not spending on household essentials).ConclusionsSmokers from a range of population groups can show majority support for new outdoor and smokefree car laws. Some of these findings are consistent with the use of public health strategies to support new smokefree laws, such as enhancing public knowledge of the second-hand smoke hazard.
Highlights
Some countries have started to extend indoor smokefree laws to cover cars and various outdoor settings
Overall support for new smokefree areas There was a wide range of support for new smokefree areas with only 2% of respondents favouring smoking being allowed in all the six new settings (Figure 1)
Elsewhere [39], we have described the implications of potential selection bias among survey participants, towards smokers who are more positively inclined to tobacco control measures
Summary
Some countries have started to extend indoor smokefree laws to cover cars and various outdoor settings. There are a range of other domains for which some jurisdictions have passed smokefree laws, including cars with children; settings where smoke can drift from outside to inside (eg, entranceways and near windows); and various other outdoor settings (eg, outside eating areas of hospitality venues, stadiums, beaches, children’s playgrounds and parks). For some of these new domains the health impacts of SHS remain relevant, especially enclosed settings such as smoking in private cars [5]. In five surveys in 2005 or since (in California, NZ and Australia), this support from smokers was 77% or more [9]
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