Home smoking restrictions: which smokers have them and how they are associated with smoking behavior

Home smoking restrictions have primarily been promoted as a means of protecting non-smokers from secondhand tobacco smoke. However, research suggests that smokers who live in smoke-free homes may modify their smoking behavior. Population-based survey data from California (n = 8904) were used to confirm this association and to examine demographic and social characteristics of smokers who reported home smoking restrictions. Report of a recent quit attempt and intention to quit were associated with family preference that the smoker not smoke, with home smoking restrictions appearing to be a concrete expression of this social pressure. In contrast, light smoking (< 15 cigarettes/day) was negatively related to family preference (light smokers may not offend non-smokers) but very positively related to the level of home smoking restrictions. Additionally, smoke-free homes appear to prolong time to relapse following cessation. Male smokers were more likely than females to report smoke-free homes, and such reports decreased with age. While Hispanics and Asians were more likely to report smoke-free homes than Non-Hispanic whites, African Americans were less likely to report them. After adjusting for demographics, smokers were nearly 6 times more likely to report smoke-free homes if they lived with a non-smoking adult and child compared to when there was no child or adult non-smoker in the household, and over 5 times more likely to report a smoke-free home if they believed in the harmfulness of secondhand smoke. Tobacco Control efforts to promote smoke-free homes may give family members leverage to encourage smokers to quit, and to modify smokers' behavior in ways that would help them quit and stay quit.