National and State-Specific Attitudes toward Smoke-Free Parks among U.S. Adults

Abstract

Outdoor places, such as parks, remain a source of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. We assessed attitudes toward smoke-free parks among U.S. adults. Data came from the 2009–2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey, a landline and cellular telephone survey of noninstitutionalized adults aged ≥18 in the 50 U.S. states and D.C. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of attitudes toward smoke-free parks, overall and by current tobacco use. Overall, 38.5% of adults reported favorable attitudes toward complete smoke-free parks; prevalence ranged from 29.2% in Kentucky to 48.2% in Maine. Prevalence of favorable attitudes toward smoke-free parks was higher among nonusers of tobacco (44.6%) and noncombustible-only users (30.0%) than any combustible users (21.3%). The adjusted odds of having a favorable attitude were higher among: women; Hispanics and Black non-Hispanics, American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanics, and other non-Hispanics; those with an unspecified sexual orientation; and those with children aged ≤17 in the household, relative to each characteristics respective referent group. Odds were lower among: any combustible tobacco and noncombustible-only tobacco users; adults aged 45–64; and those with some college or an undergraduate degree. Opportunities exist to educate the public about the benefits of smoke-free outdoor environments.

Support for Local Tobacco Policy in a Preemptive State

“…With the exception of current smokers’ support for government policies that limit the sale of tobacco near schools, female gender was also a consistent predictor of support for both policy types and across the smoking status continuum. This finding has been reported in other research looking at tobacco-related policy support [34,35]. Additionally, the Pew Research Center found that females are much more likely to support bigger government as compared to men, 58% and 37%, respectively [36].…”

Gender Differences in Reasons for Using Electronic Cigarettes and Product Characteristics: Findings From the 2018 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey

“…This would be consistent with findings from previous studies, which have shown that females were more likely than males to support smoke-free policies in university, 27 homes, 28,29 vehicles, 29 and outdoor spaces. 30 Moreover, an ITC study of smokers in Canada, United States, England, and Australia found that males were more likely to smoke in cars with nonsmokers than females. 31 Our results showed that the most cited reason for vaping among male vapers overall was "less harmful than cigarettes."…”

Measuring public opinion and acceptability of prevention policies: an integrative review and narrative synthesis of methods

“…Some national-level, long-running serial surveys that tracked public opinions over time were also identified in this review, with studies analysing data from the Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control in the United States, running since 2000 [ 85 – 87 ]; the National Adult Tobacco Survey, run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States since 2009 [ 88 – 91 ]; and the National Drug Strategy Household Survey in Australia, running since 1995 [ 92 – 94 ]. Other studies used the same survey questionnaire at several points in time to measure changes in attitude and support, for example three national surveys on alcohol control attitudes of 1000 Irish adults in 2002, 2006 and 2010 [ 95 ], and a comparison of attitudes about tobacco control across two universities in the United States [ 96 ].…”