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Introduction: The present study reports on the prevalence of smoke-free homes, the characteristics of participants who adopted a smoke-free home policy, and the association between smoke-free homes and subsequent predictors of smoking cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: This paper describes the varying levels of smoking policies in nationally representative samples of smokers in four countries and examines how these policies are associated with changes in attitudes and beliefs about secondhand smoke over time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: On 26 March 2006, Scotland implemented a smoke-free policy prohibiting smoking in indoor public venues, including bars and pubs. Drinking and smoking are highly associated behaviors, so we evaluated whether the regulations would decrease drinking behavior among smokers in public venues. We further assessed whether this effect would be more pronounced in heavier drinkers and whether decreases in drinking behavior in pubs would be offset by increased drinking in the home. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the increasing normative trend of clean indoor air laws prohibiting smoking in public places such as worksites and restaurants, the home is becoming the primary source of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. However, little empirical data indicate how SHS is distributed throughout homes and whether smoking in segregated areas offers protection. This project studied real-time data on levels of SHS in 9 homes in which smoking was permitted and in 3 smoke-free homes. Active sampling monitors were used to assess levels of PM2.5, a marker for SHS, over a 3-day period. In smoking homes, one monitor was placed in the primary smoking area and another in a distal location, where smoking generally did not occur. Participants logged smoking and other activities that could affect air quality. In smoking homes, without assuming normality, the mean PM2.5 level for the primary smoking areas was statistically significantly higher than that for distal areas (84 and 63 μg/m3, respectively). Both levels far surpassed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's annual standard of 15 μg/m3 for outdoor air quality. By contrast, the smoke-free home mean was 9 μg/m3, similar to outdoor air quality. These results suggest that the air in smoking homes was several times more polluted than that in smoke-free homes, regardless of where the measurements were taken, meaning that efforts to confine smoking to only part of the home offer no protection for people anywhere inside the home. Household members can be protected by implementing a smoke-free home policy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: To evaluate how Scotland's smokefree law impacted self-reported secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in hospitality venues, workplaces and in people's homes. In addition, we examine changes in support for the law, pub and restaurant patronage, smoking cessation indicators and whether any observed changes varied by socioeconomic status. Methods: A quasi-experimental longitudinal telephone survey of nationally representative samples of smokers and non-smokers interviewed before the Scottish law (February to March 2006) and 1 year later after the law (March 2007) in Scotland (n=705 smokers and n=417 non-smokers) and the rest of the UK (n=1027 smokers and n=447 non-smokers) where smoking in public places was not regulated at the time. Results: Dramatic declines in the observance of smoking in pubs, restaurants and workplaces were found in Scotland relative to the rest of the UK. The change in the percent of smokers reporting a smokefree home and number of cigarettes smoked inside the home in the evening was comparable in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Support for smokefree policies increased to a greater extent in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. Self-reported frequency of going to pubs and restaurants was generally comparable between Scotland and the rest of the UK; however, non-smokers in Scotland were more likely to frequent pubs more often. No differences in smoking cessation indicators were observed between countries. Conclusion: The Scottish smokefree law has been successful in decreasing secondhand smoke exposure while causing none of the hypothesized negative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To measure relative effectiveness of tobacco counter-marketing advertisements by category and emotive execution style among young adults. Methods: Participants (n=1011) from 2 US 4-year colleges, one southern and one northern were surveyed before and after viewing advertisements in one of 3 categories: social norms, health consequences, or tobacco industry manipulation and with 4 emotive execution styles: drama, testimonial (negative emotive) and humor, sarcasm (positive). Results: Health consequences and negative emotive advertisements were rated significantly most persuasive. Conclusions: This is the first study to support the effectiveness of tobacco countermarketing advertisements emphasizing the negative emotive health consequences of smoking among young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between exposure to state-sponsored anti-tobacco advertising and smoking cessation. Cessation rates in 2001 among a cohort of 2061 smokers who participated in the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation between 1988 and 1993 and completed a follow-up survey in 2001 were merged with 2000-01 television advertising exposure data from Nielsen Media Research. The relative risk for quitting was estimated to be 10% higher for every 5000 units of exposure to state anti-tobacco television advertising over the 2-year period, although this did not quite achieve statistical significance. The association was even larger among those who reported that the level of information in the media about the dangers of smoking had increased 'a lot' between 1993 and 2001 (RR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.03-1.38). These data are consistent with the finding that increased exposure to state anti-tobacco media increases smoking cessation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between exposure to state-sponsored anti-tobacco advertising and smoking cessation. Cessation rates in 2001 among a cohort of 2061 smokers who participated in the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation between 1988 and 1993 and completed a follow-up survey in 2001 were merged with the 2000-01 television advertising exposure data from Nielsen Media Research. The relative risk for quitting was estimated to be 10% higher for every 5000 units of exposure to state anti-tobacco television advertising over the 2-year period, although this did not quite achieve statistical significance. The association was even larger among those who reported that the level of information in the media about the dangers of smoking had increased ‘a lot’ between 1993 and 2001 (RR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.03–1.38). These data are consistent with the finding that increased exposure to state anti-tobacco media increases smoking cessation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to describe how college students perceive the risks of cigarette smoking and addiction to nicotine. Data came from a self-administered survey of 1,020 college students enrolled in two 4-year liberal arts colleges in the United States. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2001. Smokers and nonsmokers differed markedly in their perceptions about the health risks associated with short-term exposure to smoking. College students in this sample who smoked did not fully comprehend the risks associated with smoking. Smokers were half as likely as nonsmokers to believe that there are health risks from smoking only on weekends or a couple of days a week. Anti-tobacco messages for young adult smokers need to communicate more effectively the concept that each cigarette they smoke is doing them damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In March 2004, Ireland implemented comprehensive smoke-free regulations. Some were concerned this would cause pub patrons to move their smoking and drinking from inside pubs to inside homes. This article aims to assess whether nationwide smoke-free policies are associated with more smoking or drinking inside the home. Methods: Participants were 1917 adult smokers (>18-years old) from Ireland (n = 582), Scotland (n = 507) and the rest of the United Kingdom (n = 828), which did not have smoke-free laws at the time of the interview, who completed a random digit-dialed telephone survey in February to March 2006. The percentage of alcoholic drinks consumed in the home versus pubs was compared by country as well as the percentage of daily cigarette consumption occurring in the home after work. Results: Irish respondents reported a significantly lower percentage of alcoholic drinks consumed in the home compared to Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, and cigarette consumption in the home was comparable in all three regions. Conclusions: Smoking and drinking in the home was not greater in smoke-free Ireland than in the United Kingdom, where there was not a smoke-free law at the time of the survey. These findings add further support to the enactment of comprehensive smoke-free laws, as called for in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined whether smokers who purchased low-taxed cigarettes from American Indian reservations had lower quit attempt and cessation rates than did smokers who purchased cigarettes from full-price outlets. Smokers who bought cigarettes from American Indian reservations were half as likely to make a quit attempt and had a nonsignificant trend toward lower cessation rates (20% vs 10%) compared with those who bought full-priced cigarettes. Interventions that reduce price differentials are suggested to maximize the public health benefit of cigarette excise taxes. (Am J Public Health. 2005;95:994-995. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]