Attitudes towards smokefree high streets: a survey of local shoppers in a northern UK town.

OBJECTIVE:: As a local authority we wanted to practically determine the perception of the public to smokefree zones in shopping high streets and other local outdoor public places.

METHODS:: A survey was carried out by students on a convenience sample of shoppers on a single busy market day in Barnsley.

RESULTS:: In all, 142 responses were collected; 28% were smokers and 15% e-cigarette users. The majority (69%) of respondents were not against smokefree high streets, including 68% of smokers; 69% of respondents (including 61% of smokers) were not against all public areas becoming smokefree; 70% of respondents (including 63% of smokers) were not against outdoor seating areas, such as those outside pubs and cafés becoming smokefree. There was a marginal preference that smokefree outdoor zones should be voluntary (42%) rather than enforced (39%). Most respondents believed that people smoking around children was influential in determining whether those children go on to take up smoking when they get older. Most smokers (92%) said they already moderated their smoking behaviour in some way when children were present, including 44% who claimed that when children are around they do not smoke at all.

CONCLUSION:: This study gives strength to the argument for local authorities to implement voluntary outdoor smokefree zones in public places such as shopping high streets, as a part of a comprehensive tobacco control plan. Shoppers were generally supportive of smokefree zones and in particular where the rationale for their implementation is to protect children from taking up smoking.