title: An exploratory analysis of the impact of a university campus smoking ban on staff and student smoking habits in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking bans in public places have been shown to have an impact on smoking habits, however the potential influence of a university smoking ban on faculty and staff smoking habits remains elusive.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross sectional study was implemented in Nayoro City, Japan in 2011, among the faculty and students of the Nayoro City University. Five years after the declaration of a total ban on smoking on a university campus, the smoking characteristics of all students, teachers and office workers, and the policy's impact on smokers were investigated. The survey was conducted through an anonymous, self-administered, multiple-choice questionnaire. Information was gathered on the characteristics and smoking characteristics of respondents, and the smokers attitudes toward smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The recovery rate was 62.1%. Among respondents, smoking prevalence was 17.9% in teachers and office workers, and 4.0% in students. Among all smokers, 46.4% did not abstain from smoking while at the university and they indicated their smoking areas were "on the streets next to the campus": 16 and "outdoors on campus": 3, respectively. As for smokers, 29.6% of them reduced the number of cigarettes smoked per day as a result of the smoking ban. None of the ex-smokers replied that their principal motivation for quitting smoking was the smoking ban.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ban on smoking served a motivator for smokers to reduce in smoking, but not serve as an effective motivator to quit smoking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Nayoro City University, W4-N8, Nayoro 096-8641, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohmi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Nayoro City University, W4-N8, Nayoro 096-8641, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okizaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Liberal Arts Education, Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Nayoro City University, W4-N8, Nayoro 096-8641, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meadows
authors.affiliation: Department of Liberal Arts Education, Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Nayoro City University, W4-N8, Nayoro 096-8641, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terayama
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing Science, Asahikawa Medical University, E2-1-1-1, Midorigaoka, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
references.citation: Eur J Public Health. 2009 Apr;19(2):206-11
references.pmid: 19307250
references.citation: Int J Nurs Stud. 2012 Jul;49(7):803-10
references.pmid: 22349045
references.citation: J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004 Jan 21;96(2):107-15
references.pmid: 14734700
references.citation: Am J Health Promot. 2011 Sep-Oct;26(1):26-36
references.pmid: 21879940
references.citation: Nicotine Tob Res. 2006 Dec;8(6):739-49
references.pmid: 17132521
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 2012 May 15;175(10):1006-12
references.pmid: 22306566
references.citation: Nicotine Tob Res. 2009 Sep;11(9):1099-106
references.pmid: 19640834
references.citation: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2003 Jun;57(6):412-6
references.pmid: 12775785
references.citation: Addiction. 2011 Apr;106(4):816-23
references.pmid: 21182553
references.citation: Nicotine Tob Res. 2008 Mar;10(3):471-81
references.pmid: 18324566
references.citation: Environ Health Prev Med. 2008 Jul;13(4):219-26
references.pmid: 19568908