Analyzing public responses to Shanghai's strict smoking ban: A data mining study based on 12320 Health Hotline calls
Lili Shi1, Aksara Regmi2, Jiaqi Shao2
1Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Introduction:
This study evaluates the public response to Shanghai's strict smoking ban through an analysis of calls made to the 12320 Health Hotline. The focus is on identifying the types of violations reported, the locations involved, and how these calls can inform future enforcement strategies.
Methods:
We collected 41614 call records from March 2016 to March 2019 and used natural language processing (NLP) techniques to analyze these data. Calls containing tobacco-related complaints, consultations, help-seeking requests, or suggestions were included.
Results:
Following the implementation of the amended regulations, tobacco-related hotline activity peaked in March 2017. During this month, 6937 eligible calls were recorded, of which 4705 (68%) were complaints, 1212 (17%) were consultations, and 829 (12%) were help-seeking requests, while only 172 calls (2%) involved suggestions. Workplaces accounted for the largest proportion of reported locations (35%; n=2399), followed by food and beverage establishments (14%; n=960) and leisure or hospitality venues (13%; n=902), with schools least frequently reported (1%; n=86).
Conclusions:
Hotline-based surveillance provides a practical approach for characterizing public concerns related to smoking ban enforcement. Further studies are needed to examine demographic predictors of call patterns, assess long-term trends beyond the initial implementation period, and explore how such data sources may complement conventional tobacco control monitoring systems.
