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. 2013 Sep 15;11(1):19.
doi: 10.1186/1617-9625-11-19.

An exploratory analysis of the impact of a university campus smoking ban on staff and student smoking habits in Japan

Hiroki Ohmi  1 , Toshiyuki Okizaki #  1 , Martin Meadows #  2 , Kazuyuki Terayama #  2 , Yoshikatsu Mochizuki #  3
Affiliations

An exploratory analysis of the impact of a university campus smoking ban on staff and student smoking habits in Japan

Hiroki Ohmi et al. Tob Induc Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Smoking bans in public places have been shown to have an impact on smoking habits, however the potential influence of a university smoking ban on faculty and staff smoking habits remains elusive.

Methods: This cross sectional study was implemented in Nayoro City, Japan in 2011, among the faculty and students of the Nayoro City University. Five years after the declaration of a total ban on smoking on a university campus, the smoking characteristics of all students, teachers and office workers, and the policy's impact on smokers were investigated. The survey was conducted through an anonymous, self-administered, multiple-choice questionnaire. Information was gathered on the characteristics and smoking characteristics of respondents, and the smokers attitudes toward smoking.

Results: The recovery rate was 62.1%. Among respondents, smoking prevalence was 17.9% in teachers and office workers, and 4.0% in students. Among all smokers, 46.4% did not abstain from smoking while at the university and they indicated their smoking areas were "on the streets next to the campus": 16 and "outdoors on campus": 3, respectively. As for smokers, 29.6% of them reduced the number of cigarettes smoked per day as a result of the smoking ban. None of the ex-smokers replied that their principal motivation for quitting smoking was the smoking ban.

Conclusions: The ban on smoking served a motivator for smokers to reduce in smoking, but not serve as an effective motivator to quit smoking.

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References

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