Abstract
Background The goal of this study was to assess the effects of Minnesota's comprehensive, statewide smokefree law on young adults' perceived opportunities to smoke in restaurants and bars. Purpose Differential effects of the law were examined for those living with and without previous local smokefree ordinances. Methods Telephone surveys were conducted 612 months prior, 06 months prior, and 06 months after Minnesota's statewide smokefree law went into effect. Participants included young adults from a population-based cohort in Minnesota (n=1446) and from four other Upper Midwest states that serve as a comparison (n=238). Results A greater proportion of Minnesota participants (regardless of previous law) reported it was very hard for an adult to find a place to smoke in both restaurants and bars/clubs after the statewide law, compared to the comparison group. Effects were greater among Minnesota participants who did not live with a local smokefree ordinance previously. Conclusions Within 6 months of Minnesota's statewide smokefree law, Minnesota young adults, even those who lived with a prior local smoking ordinance, believed it was more difficult for adults to find a place to smoke in restaurants and bars/clubs. Changing perceived opportunities to smoke in the state may be an initial step in changing social norms and smoking behaviors. These results suggest that statewide smokefree laws may provide additional barriers to smoking, beyond those obtained through local ordinances.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S23-S29 |
| Journal | American journal of preventive medicine |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 6 SUPPL. 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2010 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research was funded by the National Cancer Institute ( R01 CA86191 ) and ClearWay Minnesota SM research program grant RC-2007-0018 . The contents of this manuscript are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the National Cancer Institute or ClearWay Minnesota.
Funding Information:
This paper was supported by ClearWay Minnesota SM as part of a supplement entitled ClearWay MinnesotaSM: Advancing Tobacco Control Through Applied Research (Am J Prev Med 2010;39[6S1]).
