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Smoking control in restaurants: the effectiveness of self-regulation in Australia
M J Schofield1, R Considine, C A Boyle
1New South Wales Cancer Council Cancer Education Research Project, University of Newcastle, Wallsend, Australia.
Objectives:
The provision of smoke-free areas in restaurants has been a controversial issue; the restaurant industry largely opts for a self-regulation approach. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of self-regulation as a strategy in meeting the industry's and customers' perceived needs.
Methods:
Restaurateur and customer perspectives on the provision of smoke-free areas in restaurants were examined by survey among 365 restaurateurs and 1327 customers in New South Wales, Australia.
Results:
Less than 2% of restaurants were totally smoke-free; 22% provided some smoke-free areas. Customers were much more likely than owners to think that smoke-free areas should be provided. Owners appeared to be unaware of customers' views about smoke-free areas in restaurants.
Conclusions:
Little evidence was found to support the effectiveness of the self-regulation policy adopted by the restaurant industry. Characteristics of restaurants and owners associated with the provision of smoke-free areas are presented and implications of the findings are discussed.