The opinion of catering sector about the smoking ban and the evaluation of establishments

Abstract

The opinion of catering sector about the smoking ban and the valuation of establishments 108 SUMMARY The opinion of catering sector about the smoking ban and the evaluation of establishments Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the knowledge and perspective of employees/employers in the catering sector in our city regarding the smoking ban, as well as to determine the changes in the number of customers and income after the bans implementation. Materials and Methods: In this two phased cross-sectional study 337 and 310 adults were evaluated respectively. Before the smoking ban was implemented we visited 84 workplaces in city center, after 18 months later 97 workplaces were visited in the same region. In both phases, the participants' opinions about the necessity/applicability of the ban were evaluated. In the second phase, they were also asked whether they had any changes in their income. Results: In both phases, participants' general characteristics were similar. When all participants were evaluated, we determined that their knowledge and belief in the necessity/applicability of the ban did not change over time. It was determined that non-smokers more strongly believed in the necessity/applicability of the ban. Thirty-eight participants were included in both phases; 44.7% of them reported a decrease in the number of customers, and 60% of employers reported an increase in their income. Conclusion: The smokers were less convinced about the applicability/necessity of this ban than non-smokers. According to our results it could be said that smoking can also adversely affect implementation of the related ban. Employers should be informed that the ban will not affect their income.

Factors that influence attitude and enforcement of the smoke-free law in Turkey: a survey of hospitality venue owners and employees

“…The poor positive attitude and enforcement towards the smoke-free law among women compared with men was consistent with another Turkish study that reported a lack of support and low smoking cessation rates among women 29. In our study, the hospitality industry, including both owner/managers and employees, was dominated by men.…”

“…Less support for smoke-free laws among smokers has been observed in multiple countries,38–42 including Turkey 29. An interesting finding in our study was that both former smokers and smokers who indicated the law had helped them reduce the number of cigarettes they smoked showed stronger enforcement and positive attitude towards the law.…”