Concordia University. Canada: Smokers have become accustomed to stepping outside at bars and
restaurants. But has the change in rules governing enclosed public
places inspired enough of them to smoke less behind their own closed
doors or maybe even quit altogether? These questions were posed in research recently published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research,
in which a team that included Sylvia Kairouz of Concordia found no
significant change in home habits in the aftermath of a ban.
But the
measures could have an impact in more complex ways.
“What distinguishes people who restrict smoking at home is the
presence of a non-smoker,” says Kairouz, an associate professor in
Concordia’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology. “The social
network seems to be more of a factor than the law.”
With advance knowledge of a smoking ban in Quebec, Canada that took
effect in May 2006, researchers were able to collect data from a
representative cross-section of the population a month ahead of time.
They then followed up a year and a half later.
Naturally, growing awareness of the health impact of secondhand smoke
contributed to the stricter laws, although a number of those who kept
puffing at home claimed to be trying to reduce nicotine exposure to
others, even if those strategies for quitting are generally futile.
“The popular belief is that opening windows or doors to blow out
smoke makes it OK, when that’s not the case,” Kairouz says. “People
might be sensitive to the issues, but there was a lack of information
about how the effects of second-hand smoke are transmitted.”
Greater inspiration to kick the habit likely comes from having
friends or family who set an example by giving up cigarettes themselves.
But trends over the past decade suggest a much broader range of factors
have reduced the number of nicotine addicts beyond simply forcing
smokers to huddle outdoors more often.
“There needs to be an integrated approach of ecological measures
along with taxation, prevention and information,” Kairouz says. “But one
of the most important components is to have public health services
available for people who are trying to quit.”
Partners in research: This research was supported by an
operating grant from the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative
and a contribution from the Ministère de santé et services sociaux.