Smoke-Free Futures Project

Tobacco Smoke in Public Places Views and Knowledge of Citizens of Bruce and Grey Counties


Overview:

In 1997, a public opinion poll on smoke-free bylaws in public places was conducted by M&O Research, an independent research firm for the Bruce-Grey Owen Sound Health Unit. The survey was designed to estimate:

Methods

A representative random sample of 349 people between the ages of 18 and 70 years from the Counties of Bruce and Grey were interviewed by telephone between June 10, 1997 and June 24, 1997. When comparing Bruce with Grey County, these results are accurate 19 times out of 20, plus or minus 5%. Twenty-six percent of the respondents were smokers which is in line with the provincial average of 28.2% in 1995. The results were analyzed for three areas: Bruce County, Grey County and the Lakeshore Area (a sub-section of Bruce County comprised of Huron Twp., Kincardine Twp., Kincardine, Bruce Twp, Tiverton, Port Elgin, Southampton).

 
Results

Experience with Second-Hand Smoke
Most (71%) respondents reported being in the presence of second-hand smoke either daily or a few times a week. Most respondents notice this smoke and are bothered by it; only 11% reported that they "Do not notice the smoke".

Knowledge of Health Effects of Second-Hand Smoke
Eighty-eight percent of all respondents reported that they accept that there are negative health effects of second-hand smoke. Almost 85% identified some form of illness that could be attributed to second-hand smoke. The most commonly identified health effects were: wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, lung cancer, bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, heart disease.

General Support for Restricting Smoking in Public Places
A majority (53%) of respondents in both counties support a general by-law eliminating smoking in all enclosed public places; that majority is strongest in the Lakeshore Area (56%). An additional 4% volunteered that they would support a general bylaw which allowed smoking in designated areas of enclosed public places.

Specific Support by Locations
Support for bylaws pertaining to specific locations was greater than the support for a general by-law.

Table 1: Percentage (%) of Residents in Favour of Bylaws by Specific Location
 

Location Bruce 
n=162		 Grey 
n=186
Strong Support    
Waiting & Common Areas 84.5 85.0
Arenas and Recreation Centres 81.4 83.9
Concert Halls and Live Theatre 85.9 87.6
Community Halls 76.2 74.2
Where People Work 72.7 71.8
Food Courts and Cafeteria 71.3 73.1
Medium Support    
Malls and Shopping Centres 84.4 69.4
Outdoor Recreation Areas Used by Children 62.0 58.6
Banquet Halls 62.0 62.9
Moderate Support    
Donut Shops 53.4 54.3
Game Arcades 53.7 57.0
Billiard Halls 41.7 44.6
Bingo Halls 49.7 69.7
Bowling Alleys 58.9 60.8
Restaurants 50.3 48.4
Limited Support    
Bars, Pubs, Taverns 21.5 25.8

Note: The % of support in the Lakeshore Area was 1-3% higher in all locations.

Smokers’ and Non-Smokers’ Views
Smokers and non-smokers both agreed strongly that the following public places should be smoke-free:

In addition, both smokers and non-smokers supported smoke-free malls and shopping centres to a similar extent. They differed in their views of eating establishments: non-smokers want to eat in smoke-free places, smokers want to eat where they can smoke.

Gender Differences in Support for Smoke-Free Public Places
In general, women tend to support smoke-free status for public places more strongly than do men.

Age Differences in Support for Smoke-Free Public Places
The greatest opposition to smoke-free public places comes from those aged 18-24 years, specifically for the following public places: bars, game arcades, and billiard halls. Support for smoke-free bingo halls increases with age. For each of the remaining public places the distribution of support by age is similar.

Future Use of Public Places
In general, 90% of all respondents say that their use of any of the listed public places would either increase or not change if a smoke-free by-law is enacted.
 
 

Conclusions

The percentage of citizens that support a by-law that would eliminate smoking in all public places is moderate. Many of those who are non-smokers and are opposed to such legislation support the right of others to smoke. Most people report that they tolerate second-hand smoke even though they don’t like it and know the negative side effects on their health. However, strong support exists for by-laws in some specific public places. In general, public support is strongest in the Lakeshore Area.

The lowest level of support for smoke-free places and the greatest differences in opinion between smokers and non-smokers exists in eating and drinking places. Yet, the survey indicates that it is unlikely that attendance at eating and licensed establishments will decrease if smoking restrictions are enacted; in fact it is more likely that attendance at these places will increase.
 

For further information on the study, please contact: