Understanding the dynamics of compliance to smoke-free policy regulations: Exploring the perspectives of venue owners and staff in Türkiye
Introduction The study aims to understand the facilitators and barriers associated with enforcing and complying with Türkiye's smoke-free policy from the perspective of hospitality venue owners and employees. Methods A qualitative open-ended survey was conducted in Istanbul and Ankara in 2021...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Understanding-the-dynamics-of-compliance-to-smoke-free-npolicy-regulations-Exploring,176226,0,2.html |
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| Summary: | Introduction
The study aims to understand the facilitators and barriers associated
with enforcing and complying with Türkiye's smoke-free policy from the
perspective of hospitality venue owners and employees.
Methods
A qualitative open-ended survey was conducted in Istanbul and Ankara in
2021 with 58 respondents from 3 different districts in each city from four types of
venues: restaurants, traditional coffee and waterpipe houses, and European-style
cafés. The open-ended survey included questions to understand the knowledge,
beliefs, and attitudes of respondents about Türkiye's smoke-free policy and their
perceptions of the facilitators and/or barriers to smoke-free policy implementation
and changes after COVID-19. The data were analyzed using an inductive approach
to identify patterns and categorize the data into themes.
Results
The respondents expressed that the smoke-free policy aimed to protect
employees and customers from secondhand smoke (SHS), respect human health,
and improve air quality. Findings suggest that the positive attitude of venue
owners and staff toward the smoke-free policy serves as a facilitator. However,
fear of financial impact, customers’ negative attitudes, difficulties in meeting
physical requirements, and insufficient enforcement were found to be barriers
to implementing the smoke-free policy. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
were reported as an initial increase in compliance and awareness among customers
and staff, but some respondents noted negative changes due to the emotional and
financial effects of prolonged restrictions. These challenges have led to decreased
attention on the smoke-free policy among venue owners, staff and customers.
Respondents’ suggested improvements were related to building infrastructure,
such as the ventilation systems and educating the public on the harmful health
effects of smoking.
Conclusions
Despite the general understanding of the dangers of secondhand smoke
and the smoke-free policy, this study highlights the challenges in implementing
smoke-free policy measures and the continued need to raise awareness about the
importance of a 100% smoke-free venue. A comprehensive approach to addressing
the tobacco epidemic as a multifaceted public health issue is essential. |
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| ISSN: | 1617-9625 |