Attitudes and experiences of restauranteurs regarding smoking bans in Adelaide, South Australia

Copyright © 1999 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.OBJECTIVES---To determine compliance with a voluntary code of practice (VCP) for restricting smoking in restaurants and to canvass the attitudes of restaurateurs towards tougher smoking restrictions. DESIGN---Cross-sectional survey conducted in 1996 using a telephone questionnaire. SETTING---Metropolitan restaurants and cafés in Adelaide, South Australia. PARTICIPANTS---276 (86.8%) of a sample of randomly selected owners and managers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES---Restaurant non-smoking policies, reported and anticipated change in business, and restaurateurs' attitudes towards smoking restrictions. RESULTS---26.8% of restaurants had a total smoking ban; 40.6% restricted smoking some other way; and 32.6% permitted unrestricted smoking. Only 15.1% of restaurants with a ban or restrictions had used the VCP to guide the development of their policy, and only half of these were complying with it. Although 78.4% of those with bans and 84.4% of those with restrictions reported that their non-smoking policy had been associated with either no change or a gain in business, only 33.3% of those allowing unrestricted smoking expected that this would be the case, if they were to limit smoking. A total of 50.4% of restaurateurs, including 45.3% of those with no restrictions, agreed that the government should ban smoking in all restaurants. CONCLUSIONS---The VCP made an insignificant contribution to adoption of non-smoking policies, and compliance with the code was poor. Despite concerns about loss of business, there was considerable support for legislation which would ban smoking in all dining establishments.Kelly Jones, Melanie Wakefield, Deborah A Turnbul