Implementation of a workplace smoking ban in bars: the limits of local discretion.
BACKGROUND
In January 1998, the California state legislature extended a workplace smoking ban to bars. The purpose of this study was to explore the conditions that facilitate or hinder compliance with a smoking ban in bars.


METHODS
We studied the implementation of the smoking ban in bars by interviewing three sets of policy participants: bar employers responsible for complying with the law; local government officials responsible for enforcing the law; and tobacco control activists who facilitated implementation. We transcribed the interviews and did a qualitative analysis of the text.


RESULTS
The conditions that facilitated bar owners' compliance with a smoking ban in bars included: if the cost to comply was minimal; if the bars with which they were in competition were in compliance with the smoking ban; and if there was authoritative, consistent, coordinated, and uniform enforcement. Conversely, the conditions that hindered compliance included: if the law had minimal sanctions; if competing bars in the area allowed smoking; and if enforcement was delayed or inadequate.


CONCLUSIONS
Many local enforcers wished to forfeit their local discretion and believed the workplace smoking ban in bars would be best implemented by a state agency. The potential implication of this study is that, given the complex nature of local politics, smoking bans in bars are best implemented at a broader provincial or national level.
Montini
Theresa
T
New York University, 423 East 23rd Street, VET-16N, New York, NY 10010, USA. theresa.montini@nyu.edu
Bero
Lisa A
LA
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics; D002140:California; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D035846:Law Enforcement; D008875:Middle Aged; D011050:Policy Making; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012147:Restaurants / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011049:Social Control Policies; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017132:Workplace / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000458:organization & administration