A qualitative analysis of compliance with smoke-free legislation in community bars in Scotland: implications for public health.
OBJECTIVE
To explore compliance with the smoke-free legislation within a cross-section of community bars in Scotland.


METHODS
Ethnographic case study combining unobtrusive observation and in-depth interviews conducted pre- and post-introduction.


METHODS
Eight Scottish community bars in three contrasting study communities.


METHODS
Ten bar proprietors, 16 bar workers and 44 customers. Measurements Observations and participant reports of compliance over the first 12 months of the smoking ban.


RESULTS
All eight study bars endeavoured to enforce the ban, but with varying enthusiasm. Compliance varied, with violations more prevalent in those bars serving deprived communities. Most violations occurred in peripheral areas and generally went unchallenged. Six bars reported some form of complicit behaviour with staff and customers smoking together, either in the entrance area or during 'lock-ins' when access to the bar was restricted to regular customers. Three factors were particularly important to explaining variance between bars: smoking norms, management competency and management attitudes towards the ban. The first and last were related to social disadvantage.


CONCLUSIONS
Official data provide only a crude assessment of compliance in licensed premises. Data from this study offer a detailed picture of the nature and levels of compliance, and suggest a need for more sophisticated surveillance methods, greater enforcement and use of prosecutions where merited, and targeted support for bars serving deprived communities to help ensure that the major gains already achieved are retained and built upon. It is also suggested that acceptance of the smoke-free legislation could be enhanced by complementary initiatives targeting support to smokers in deprived communities. Those planning to introduce smoke-free legislation need to set in place these measures in advance in order to realize the benefits of full compliance.
Eadie
Douglas
D
Centre for Tobacco Control Research, University of Stirling and The Open University, Scotland, UK. douglas.eadie@stir.ac.uk
Heim
Derek
D
Macaskill
Susan
S
Ross
Alastair
A
Hastings
Gerard
G
Davies
John
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health / Q000592:standards; D012147:Restaurants; D012606:Scotland; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017132:Workplace
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution