Effects of a Smoke-free Law in Parks and Beaches on Smoking Behaviour: Methods to Determine Effectiveness (2011)

As part of a comprehensive approach to tobacco control,smoke free laws have resulted in reductions of indoor air pollution, improvements in respiratory and cardiovascular health, reduction of smoking uptake by youth, and increasing tobacco use cessation in various jurisdictions. Although many studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of smoke-free policies in indoor spaces (e.g., restaurants, bars, workplaces, hospital settings, etc.), little is known about the effectiveness of such policies in outdoor public spaces. On September 1st, 2010, Vancouver’s smoke-free by-law for the city’s parks, beaches, and facilities came into effect. The aims of this study are two-fold: a) to examine the effect of this smoke-free law on the frequency of smoking in selected parks and beaches, and b) to determine the change in location of smoking, within parks and beaches, following the enactment of the smoke-free law. The hypotheses guiding this study are: 1) There will be a lower frequency of observed smoking behaviour following the introduction of the law and 2) Smoking behaviour will be dispersed to the peripheries (i.e., margins) of the parks and beaches, following the enactment of the smoke-free law