Introduction
Background and Objectives
In November 1999 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Scotland and The Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS), commissioned MVA to conduct a telephone survey of 1000 leisure orientated businesses across Scotland. The aim of the survey was to provide baseline data against which to monitor the impact of the implementation of the new government initiatives on smoking in public places, i.e. the Voluntary Charter and proposed Approved Code of Practice. This survey covered views and perceptions of smoking policies in public places, smoking restrictions, ventilation, and awareness of government initiatives. The results showed that 58% of businesses allowed members of the public to smoke; 52% of all businesses did not have a smoking policy in place and 85% of public houses did not have a smoking policy.
Following this survey, it was felt that a survey of customers of public houses and restaurants (the most important leisure businesses) would provide useful comparative and complementary information.
Data was collected in an on-street survey with members of the public. Respondents were recruited from ten sites in 4 Scottish cities (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee) and nine sites in nine smaller towns and rural locations (Stirling, Inverness, Ayr, Dumbarton, Galashiels, Peebles, Callander, Dingwall, and Kelso). Respondents were eligible for inclusion in the survey if they were over 16 years of age and had visited a public house within the last three months. Quotas were set for sex and age to ensure coverage of different types of person. Smoking status quotas were set to ensure that enough information was available to report on the views and experiences of both smokers and non-smokers.
The content of the questionnaire was shaped by a series of focus groups conductedprior to the main survey that helped identify the key issues to be explored. Respondents were interviewed by fourteen trained interviewers using a structured questionnaire. The questions covered:
- use of public houses and restaurants;
- their own rights and the rights of others;
- perceptions of smoking policies and smoking restriction;
- awareness and perceptions of ventilation systems;
- the Voluntary Charter and Approved Code of Practice; and
- the benefits and disadvantages of a smoke free environment.
The objectives of the on-street survey were:
- to determine public awareness about the health risks of environmental tobacco smoke/passive smoking;
- to determine public perceptions and awareness of smoking policies and restrictions in public houses and restaurants;
- to determine the public's attitude towards smoke free public houses and restaurants;
- to explore the public's perception of the rights of smokers and non-smokers;
- to identify the level of awareness of the Voluntary Charter and Code of Practice;
In total 1016 respondents were interviewed between 16 October 2000 and 24 November 2000. The profile of the sample is given in Table 1.1
Report Conventions
Within this report 'smokers' refer to both 'regular' smokers and 'occasional' smokers, as classified in Table 1.1. 'Non-smokers' include those respondents who had not smoked for a year or more or those who said they had never smoked. Responses collected from respondents interviewed in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee are classified under the term 'urban' and responses collected within the small towns and rural sites listed above are classified as 'rural'. In the presentation of tables, the conventional '*' is used when a percentage is less than 1% but greater than zero. In tables where figures have been rounded to the nearest integer, a discrepancy may be apparent between the sum of the constituent items and the totalsas shown.
Much of the reported data is set out for smokers and non-smokers separately. Combining the data would not be appropriate because the survey was designed to measure the views of each separately, rather than to be representative of the Scottish population as a whole.
| Table 1-1 Response Rate |
|
% Quota Expected |
% Quota Achieved |
% of Urban Respondents |
% of Rural Respondents |
| Sex: |
| Male |
50 |
49 |
49 |
49 |
| Female |
50 |
51 |
51 |
51 |
| N= |
1000 |
1016 |
468 |
548 |
| Age: |
| 17-25 |
35 |
32 |
32 |
33 |
| 26-40 |
35 |
32 |
32 |
32 |
| 41-59 |
20 |
24 |
26 |
22 |
| 60+ |
10 |
12 |
10 |
13 |
| Do not wish to say |
- |
* |
- |
* |
| N= |
1000 |
1016 |
467 |
548 |
| Smoking Status: |
| Regular Smoker (one or more cigarettes per day) |
50 |
47 |
52 |
43 |
| Occasional smoker (smoked in the last year) |
- |
7 |
5 |
8 |
| Non-Smoker/never smoked |
50 |
46 |
43 |
49 |
| Do not wish to say |
- |
* |
- |
* |
| N= |
1000 |
1016 |
467 |
548 |
| Social Class: |
| A |
- |
2 |
2 |
1 |
| B |
- |
6 |
4 |
8 |
| C1 |
- |
31 |
24 |
37 |
| C2 |
- |
21 |
20 |
22 |
| D |
- |
21 |
20 |
21 |
| E |
- |
20 |
30 |
12 |
| Unspecified |
- |
* |
- |
* |
| N= |
|
1016 |
466 |
546 |
Report Structure
The main findings of the survey are presented in the following chapters.
- Chapter 2: Public House and Restaurant Use
- Chapter 3: Health Risks
- Chapter 4: Beliefs on Rights
- Chapter 5: Perceptions of Smoking Policies and Restrictions in Public Houses
- Chapter 6: Voluntary Charter and Code of Practice
- Chapter 7: Advantages and Disadvantages of a Smoke Free Environment
The questionnaire can be found in Appendix A, the screening sheet in Appendix B and Survey Methodology and Fieldwork in Appendix C (i.e. the survey method, sample and questionnaire design, conduct of fieldwork and responses).
Executive Summary
Introduction
Public House and Restaurant Use
Health Risks
Beliefs on Rights
Perceptions of Smoking Policies and Restrictions
Voluntary Charter and Code of Practice
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Smoke-Free Environment
Conclusions and Implications for Strategy