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Smoking in Public Places
A Consultation on Reducing Exposure to Second Hand Smoke
Report of an Omnibus Survey
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES
1.
mruk research were commissioned by the Scottish Executive to undertake a research exercise with a representative sample of the Scottish population, regarding smoking in public places and addressing aspects of the smoking in public places consultation exercise itself. Specific issues to be addressed included:
Smoking status
Smoking policy within the work place
Support for changes to the law to make enclosed public places smoke free
Awareness of recent advertising about health risks of passive smoking
Awareness of the Scottish Executive's public consultation exercise in relation to smoking
METHODOLOGY
2. Given the nature of the research, a quantitative research exercise was required, with an in-home omnibus
1 approach being considered the most the most suitable way to gather views on smoking in public places within the consultation period.
3. A total of 1026 in-home interviews were undertaken with a representative sample of the Scottish population using
mruk's in-home Scottish omnibus. Interviews were conducted across 52 constituency based sampling points selected to be geographically representative of the Scottish population. Interviews were conducted on a random route basis within sampling points. By 'random route' we mean, within each sample point each interviewer is given a random address point to start interviewing. This is where the first interview would be attempted by each interviewer, thereafter interviewers followed a set of rules to locate other addresses. The interviewer requests an interview at every 5
th address in the street, alternatively turning left and right into other streets where they are encountered. This ensure a random sample is achieved. Quotas were established for age, gender and socio economic group with only 1 interview per household being undertaken. All fieldwork was conducted from 30
th August to 5
th September 2004.
SAMPLE PROFILE
4. The achieved sample was split evenly across genders, with half being conducted with male respondents, and half with female respondents. A spread of ages was achieved in line with the Scottish population. Around 4 in 10 interviews were undertaken with ABC1's, with the remainder (59%) being from C2DE socio economic groupings.
5. Overall, almost half of this sample claimed to be current smokers (47%) with a smaller proportion (just over a third - 36%) indicating that they had never smoked. Around a fifth claimed that they had smoked in the past but had since stopped. This differs from national adult prevalence smoking rates, which stands at about 31%.
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6. Amongst those who were currently employed, around a third were employed in workplaces which had designated areas on the premises where people could smoke. Just over a quarter were employed in workplaces that allowed people to smoke in designated areas outside the premises. A similar proportion (26%) stated that smoking was not allowed anywhere within their place of work.
MAIN FINDINGS
7. Just over half of all respondents supported further action to be taken to reduce exposure to passive smoking and second hand smoke, with strength of opinion being strongest amongst those who have never smoked. Current smokers were more likely to be of the view that no further action needs to be taken (55% of current smokers).
8. Views were mixed with respect to the level of support for a law that would make enclosed public places smoke free, with just over half expressing support for such a law and around a third indicating that they were unsupportive. Although support for such a law was most prominent amongst those who have never smoked (77%), around a third of current smokers indicated that they too would support the introduction of such a law. In addition, those respondents where the workplace policy was for no smoking anywhere within the place of work were also more likely to be in support of such a law (63%)
9. Overall, two thirds of those who would support such a law were also of the opinion that should such a law be introduced, exemptions should be considered, with pubs and clubs the most commonly suggested exemptions (57% and 21% respectively).
10. Principle reasons for being against a law that would make enclosed public places smoke free centred around the belief that smokers have the right to smoke in public places (48%) and that non smokers can choose to avoid smoky places (20%). Around a fifth of those not supporting such a law were of the opinion that enough was already being done to restrict smoking in public places.
11. Awareness levels of recent advertising about health risks of passive smoking were strong, with almost three quarters claiming to have seen or heard recent advertising on the matter.
12. Specifically, just over a third claimed to have seen or heard something in the media with respect to the Scottish Executive's public consultation exercise on smoking in public places, with this being particularly true amongst those from the AB socio economc group (47%).
13. Amongst those who had previously seen or heard something in the media with respect to the public consultation, a high proportion (59%) indicated that they did consider responding to the Scottish Executive's consultation in smoking but decided not to.
14. Amongst those who were unaware of the public consultation exercise on smoking in public places, around one in seven indicated that if had they known more about it they would have considered responding. Nonetheless, almost half of those who were unaware of any media coverage stated that they would not have considered responding even if they knew more about it, with strength of opinion here being highest amongst those aged 65+ (59%), DE's (54%) males (50%) and those living in the East (56%).
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