title: Survey of restaurants regarding smoking policies.
abstract: The New Hampshire Indoor Smoking Act was implemented in 1994 to protect the public's health by regulating smoking in enclosed places. A survey was conducted of New Hampshire restaurants to determine smoking policies, to determine restaurant characteristics associated with smoking policies, and to evaluate compliance with the Indoor Smoking Act. A list of New Hampshire restaurants was obtained from a marketing firm. Establishments were selected randomly until 400 had completed a 22-question telephone survey. Forty-four percent of restaurants permitted smoking. Characteristics positively associated with permitting smoking were being a non-fast-food restaurant, selling alcohol, selling tobacco, and having greater than the median number of seats. Of restaurants permitting smoking, 96.1% had a designated smoking area, 87.0% had a ventilation system to minimize secondhand smoke, 83.6% had a physical barrier between smoking and nonsmoking areas, and 53.1% exhibited signs marking the smoking area. Forty percent of restaurants permitting smoking met all four requirements of the Indoor Smoking Act. Smoking policies differ, by type of restaurant. Compliance with the Indoor Smoking Act is low.
authors.affiliation: Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, Office of Community and Public Health, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord 03301, USA. arpl@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Alcia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiller
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelletier
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D009513:New Hampshire / Q000453:epidemiology; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012147:Restaurants / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014691:Ventilation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution