Table 2 Content of news items on restaurants/bars going voluntarily smokefree, 1995-2011 (N = 986, except as noted below)
Measure | All venuesa | Restaurants | Bars | Example | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | ||
Overall impression of smokefree policy conveyed by all non-opinion items (n = 777 all venues; n=530 restaurants; n=131 bars) | |||||||
Positive | 606 | 78.0 | 419 | 79.1 | 99 | 75.6 | “Restaurants are finding it profitable and popular to ban smoking entirely.” [53] |
Negative | 12 | 1.5 | 9 | 1.7 | 2 | 1.5 | “The owner had been enthusiastic about his smoke-free environment for the night club crowd, but the crowd never came.” [54] |
Neutral | 159 | 20.5 | 102 | 19.2 | 30 | 22.9 | “Only a few Ft. Wayne restaurants have voluntarily gone smokefree, and they’ve had differing results.” [55] |
Overall impression of smokefree policy in editorials, letters, & columns (n = 209 all venues; n = 117 restaurants; n = 70 bars) | |||||||
Positive | 203 | 97.1 | 113 | 96.6 | 70 | 100.0 | “Owners…deserve credit for being the latest Fairbanks restaurants to toss their ashtrays.” [56] |
Negative | 1 | .5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | “Most people don’t care about smoke-free establishments.” [57] |
Neutral | 5 | 2.4 | 4 | 3.4 | 0 | 0.0 | “…holding his breath to see if his café can survive the no-smoking rule which he initiated.” [58] |
Opposition | |||||||
Item mentions any opposition to voluntary smokefree policy | 307 | 31.1 | 193 | 29.8 | 55 | 27.4 | “We can’t afford to have it [be smokefree] because we’d lose a lot of business.” [59] |
Overall customer reaction reported (n = 444 all venues; n = 297 restaurants; n = 72 bars) | |||||||
Positive customer reaction to voluntary smokefree policy | 241 | 54.3 | 162 | 54.5 | 42 | 58.3 | “We just enjoyed the atmosphere. I could breathe…We didn’t smell of smoke.” [60] |
Mixed or neutral customer reaction | 168 | 37.8 | 110 | 37.0 | 25 | 34.7 | “A lot of them have boycotted me…But…I have those who are not afraid to come in now.” [61] |
Negative customer reaction | 35 | 7.9 | 25 | 8.4 | 5 | 6.9 | “We have had customers refuse to do any more business with us.” [62] |
Health-related motivations and outcomes (n = 647 restaurants; n = 201 bars) | |||||||
Health cited as reason for implementing voluntary policy | 361 | 36.6 | 247 | 38.2 | 46 | 22.9 | “When secondhand smoke isn’t causing cancer, it is busy irritating the eyes, nose, throat and lungs of nonsmokers.” [56] |
Public health advocacy cited as reason for implementing policy | 174 | 17.6 | 134 | 20.7 | 15 | 7.5 | “Smoke Free Mohawk Valley has encouraged numerous restaurants to voluntarily ban smoking.” [63] |
Policy considered likely to benefit healthb | 266 | 27.0 | 182 | 28.1 | 33 | 16.4 | “These businesses have chosen to promote a healthier environment for their patrons and workers.” [64] |
Business-related motivations and outcomes (n = 647 restaurants; n = 201 bars) | |||||||
Business considerations cited as reason for implementing policyc | 560 | 56.8 | 380 | 58.7 | 86 | 42.8 | “It’s not worth it to spend $100,000 to build a smoking section.” [65] |
Policy considered likely to benefit businessd | 554 | 56.2 | 329 | 50.9 | 154 | 76.6 | “The result has been steady sales and more positive feedback.” [66] |
Evidence and authorities cited (n = 647 restaurants; n = 201 bars) | |||||||
Mention of scientific evidence about tobacco (including health effects) | 372 | 37.7 | 260 | 40.2 | 41 | 20.4 | “[There is] ‘overwhelming scientific evidence’ that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer and a list of other illnesses". (Surgeon General Richard Carmona) [67] |
Direct quotes from government officials | 350 | 35.5 | 223 | 34.5 | 59 | 29.4 | “This is a public health issue.” (Tucson Councilwoman) [68] |
Direct quotes from tobacco control advocacy group representatives | 268 | 27.2 | 182 | 28.1 | 51 | 25.4 | “Smokers don’t quit eating in their favorite restaurant because it is smoke-free. They just quit smoking in it.” (Wisconsin Initiative on Smoking and Health) [69] |
Direct quote from restaurant/bar assoc. representative | 133 | 13.5 | 75 | 11.6 | 29 | 14.4 | “We believe it should be a business decision and left to the business owner.” (Wisconsin Restaurant Association) [69] |
Direct quote from tobacco industry representative | 34 | 3.4 | 30 | 4.6 | 0 | 0.0 | “We believe adults should be able to patronize establishments that permit smoking if they choose to do so.” (RJR spokesperson) [70] |
Mandatory policies mentioned (n = 695 all venues; n = 404 restaurants; n = 168 bars) | |||||||
Positive portrayal | 230 | 33.1 | 126 | 31.2 | 74 | 44.0 | “It’ll probably help people quit smoking.” [71] |
Negative portrayal | 79 | 11.4 | 55 | 13.6 | 11 | 6.5 | “Legislation to force business owners to convert to nonsmoking is neither appropriate nor required.” [72] |
Neutral or mixed portrayal | 386 | 55.5 | 223 | 55.2 | 83 | 49.4 | “A bill to enact a statewide smoking ban failed in the Alabama Legislature…Do than and…other cities in the state, however, have enacted local ordinances severely limiting smoking.” [73] |