Scheduled for Research Coordinating Board Oral Presentations I, Thursday, April 27, 2006, 4:15 PM - 5:15 PM, Convention Center: 150DEF


One Year Later: College Students' Views of a Comprehensive Smoking Ban

Mark Thompson and Jamie Murphy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Nationwide, communities have instituted bans on tobacco smoking to address community health needs. Beginning July 1, 2004, a Midwestern “college town” instituted a comprehensive smoking ban prohibiting tobacco smoking in all businesses. Significant dissension was heard from business owners fearing loss of income as well as citizens concerned about loss of personal freedoms. This study assessed views of college students regarding the ban approximately one year after it's implementation. A 13-item questionnaire was developed using a 6-point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. Specific items included: support of ban prior to implementation (PRE), current support of ban (NOW), and positive impact on a) personal health (HEALTH), b) workers' health (WORK), c) business owners (BUS), d) dining experiences (DINE), e) drinking experiences (DRINK), f) people trying to quit (QUIT), and g) the community as a whole (COM). The final item addressed the ban remaining in its current form (STAY). A total of 137 students were surveyed (91 female, 46 male) in late spring of 2005. Analyses included measures of central tendency, paired samples t-tests, and correlations. The item that demonstrated the lowest support was the perception that the ban helped people quit (M=3.85). A paired comparison of PRE vs. NOW revealed a significant difference (t=-4.309, p<.000) indicating a greater level of current support than prior to the ban's implementation. The students' also differentiated between the impact on DINE vs. DRINK, with a more positive impact on dining experiences (t=3.994, p<.000). Another comparison assessed the perceived impact on BUS vs. COM (t=-7.694, p<.000) which reflected a perspective that although the ban was viewed as a positive for the community (M=5.26), it was not viewed as positive for the business owners (M=4.24). A high correlation between HEALTH and WORK (r=.849) was found, indicating a view that the ban was in the best interests of the health of individuals as well as workers. A correlation that was high (r=.765), but not as high as one might think was between NOW and STAY. The mean for NOW was higher than for STAY (t=3.613, p<.000), likely indicating that the issues of potential negative impact on businesses or loss of freedoms influenced views that the ban should remain in its present state. Implications of the findings will be discussed, including: growth in support, resistance of business owners, differential impact on drinking vs. dining experiences, and the importance of approaching bans from a health-benefit perspective.

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