Community attitudes towards environmental tobacco smoke in licensed premises: follow-up study after the Sharp case.
OBJECTIVE
To examine community attitudes towards environmental tobacco smoke in licensed premises after the Sharp case decision.


METHODS
723 randomly selected New South Wales residents aged 18 years and over completed a telephone survey in November 2001.


RESULTS
The vast majority supported some form of smoking restriction in licensed clubs (92.1%) and hotels (90.0%). Compared with a 2000 survey, respondents in the 2001 survey were significantly more likely to support a total smoking ban in licensed clubs and hotels. When support was assessed using a ban-only question, 66.8% supported banning smoking in pubs/clubs. Approximately half reported being less likely to visit non-eating areas of licensed clubs (51.2%) and hotels (49.8%) if smoking were permitted and these proportions were significantly higher than in the 2000 survey. A majority (83.1%) thought bar workers' health should be a major consideration when deciding how to handle smoking in pubs/clubs. More than half (56.8%) believed pubs/clubs would experience significant financial problems if smoking bans were introduced.


CONCLUSIONS
In New South Wales, majority support exists for banning smoking in pubs and clubs. Legislation banning smoking in all indoor drinking and gaming areas should be introduced immediately.
Tzelepis
Flora
F
Centre for Health Research & Psycho-oncology, The Cancer Council New South Wales, Wallsend, New South Wales. Flora.Tzelepis@newcastle.edu.au
Walsh
Raoul A
RA
Paul
Christine L
CL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012147:Restaurants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution