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Smoking in Public Places
A Consultation on Reducing Exposure to Second Hand Smoke
Key Findings from Focus Group Research

CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY

THE SAMPLE

2.1 The research brief identified a list of specific target groups expected to have a particular interest in the issue of passive smoking due to their age, area or type of work and social habits. It was felt important that extra steps were taken to ensure that their views fed into the consultation process. Whilst it is acknowledged that action to increase smoke-free provision in Scotland would have implications for employers, particularly the licensed trade and tobacco industry, it was felt that they would have opportunity to contribute to the debate through their representative organisations.

2.2 The key aim therefore was to overcome any potential gaps in capturing a breadth of views and to explore views in greater depth.

2.3 The focus groups represented the following groups within the general public:

• Young people (aged 16-24)

• Workers in the private sector: licensed trade and hospitality sector i.e. pub and restaurant staff

• Workers in the private sector: manufacturing, engineering, construction or transport sectors

• Workers in the public sector: local authority

• NHS workers

• Pub customers.

2.4 We conducted two focus groups with representatives of each category listed above, resulting in a total of 12 groups.

2.5 Further quotas were imposed across these groups to ensure a range of coverage according to the following criteria:

• Geographic location: Locations for the focus groups were chosen to ensure geographic coverage across Scotland and a mixture of city, urban and rural locales.

• Age: Each group targeted a specific age range as it was expected that views on smoking could vary according to age.

• Socio economic grouping: Across the groups a range of socio economic groupings were covered. Each group targeted a specific range of socio economic groupings.

• Gender: In all of the groups, half of the respondents were male and half were female apart from the groups with workers in manufacturing, engineering, construction and transport as these are male dominated industries.

• Smoker status: We recruited current smokers, ex-smokers and those who have never smoked (non-smokers). We considered various options for combining smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers in the groups and ultimately decided to hold:

• 6 groups with smokers and ex-smokers

and

• 6 groups with non-smokers and ex-smokers

2.6 This was intended to enable constructive debate between respondents with differing experiences of smoking, whilst for the most part avoiding potentially intimidating or oppositional relationships within any group.

2.7 The following table contains a summary of the focus groups based on these criteria.

Socio Economic Groupings (SEG)

2.8 The abbreviations in the table on the previous page refer to the following occupational groups:

2.9 Note that in each grade retired people who were previously of that grade and their widows are also included.

Recruitment procedure

2.10 The participants were recruited by trained qualitative recruiters who adhere to the code of conduct of the Market Research Society and MRQSA ¹² regulations. Recruiters use a range of techniques on the street, door to door or by approaching relevant organisations and outlets. Therefore the sample was random within the parameters established at the outset (age, occupation, smoking status etc).

2.11 Verbatim quotations have been used throughout this report to illustrate comments made by respondents.

2.12 All focus groups were conducted between the end of June and the middle of August 2004.

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