Thoracic Research and Practice
Original Article

Opinions of Coffee-House Clients Two Years after Comprehensive Tobacco Control Law of Turkey (Ankara, 2011)

1.

Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Halk Sağlığı Anabilim Dalı, Ankara, Türkiye

2.

Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencisi, Ankara, Türkiye

Thorac Res Pract 2013; 14: 11-18
DOI: 10.5152/ttd.2013.03
Read: 1522 Downloads: 976 Published: 18 July 2019

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to assess coffee-house clients’ opinions about and their approach to the new legislation for tobacco control two years after the second phase of the law, which covers the hospitality sector, entered into force.

 

Material and Methods: The descriptive study was carried out in 27 coffee-houses in Kecioren, Ankara. The data was collected through face to face interviews with 317 clients by using a standard questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, whereas chi-square and t-tests were used to compare groups by SPSS 15.0 statistical programme (alpha value was taken as 0.05).

 

Results: In the study, all of the coffee-house clients and workers were male, with 73.8% between the ages of 39 to 103 years. In the study, 62.8% of the clients and 81.5% of the workers were found to be current smokers, whereas 20.5% were ex-smokers. 74.7% of the clients stated that they supported the law. Nonsmokers were found to be more in favor of the law than current smokers (p<0.001). They stated that the law was advocating the right to smokefree air and it is a restriction on smoking behavior in general (p<0.001). In case of any violation of the law, nonsmokers’ tendency to warn the smoker (p<0.001). Meanwhile, 99.1% of the nonsmokers and 89.0% of the current smokers were found to be pleased with the smokefree environment. Of the smokers, 55.5% expressed their will to quit smoking, whereas 45.8% stated that they have reduced the number of cigarattes smoked per day.

 

Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that coffee-house clients, in general, are in favor of the new tobacco control law, although they seem to refrain from taking action in the case of any violations of the law. Interventions, such as advocacy for the right to breathe smokefree air and strengthening of health services for smokers who are willing to quit smoking, need to be implemented for better enforcement of the law.

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