The relationship between home smoking bans and exposure to state tobacco control efforts and smoking behaviors.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between home smoking bans and adult smokers' exposure to the statewide California Tobacco Control Program (TCP) and their cigarette smoking behavior.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey that was part of the statewide Independent Evaluation of the California Tobacco Control, Prevention and Education Program.


METHODS
Random telephone interviews within 18 California counties.


METHODS
A representative sample of 1315 adult smokers, aged 25 years and older.


METHODS
The telephone survey included questions about smoking behavior, quitting smoking, exposure to tobacco control program components, home smoking rules, and attitudes related to tobacco use and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).


RESULTS
Smokers with a home smoking ban were twice as likely (OR = 2.29; 95% CI 1.22, 4.29) to have heard of TCP community programs and three times more likely (OR = 3.18; 95% CI 1.34, 7.57) to have seen and talked about the ETS media spot than smokers with no home smoking policy. Multivariate regression models indicated that having a home smoking ban was related to smoking fewer cigarettes per day and greater interest in quitting smoking compared with smokers with no smoking rules in the home (p < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that smokers reporting exposure to the California TCP were more likely to have restrictive home smoking policies and that more restrictive home smoking policies were associated with reduced smoking behavior.
Norman
G J
GJ
Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1000 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1825, USA.
Ribisl
K M
KM
Howard-Pitney
B
B
Howard
K A
KA
Unger
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013219:State Government; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires