title: Interactions between smokers and non-smokers in public places: a qualitative study.
abstract: Few studies have employed a qualitative approach to better understand how both smokers and non-smokers experience and make sense of no-smoking restrictions in their daily lives. We describe qualitative research involving an examination of self-reported interpersonal interactions between smokers and non-smokers in public places regarding exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Five focus group discussions and twenty individual in-depth interviews were conducted with smokers and non-smokers in the Metropolitan Toronto region as a complement to a quantitative survey of the adult population of Ontario. Strategies used by non-smokers in responding to ETS exposures included verbal confrontations, non-verbal cues, use of a third party, and moving away. The perceived consequences of such actions, as described by both smokers and non-smokers, are discussed, together with implications for tobacco control policy and practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Ontario. blake.poland@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Poland
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stockton
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pederson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferrence
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bull
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D012919:Social Behavior