Smoke-Free Ordinances in Texas Worksites, Restaurants, and Bars, 2000–2007
published online 08 December 2008.
Background
Policies to protect citizens from secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure are widely noted to bring numerous economic and health benefits and contribute to changes in public norms. In 2000, the Texas Department of State Health Services established a database to track changes in the number and content of municipal secondhand smoke ordinances. This study utilizes that data to describe existing municipal ordinances; identify changes in population coverage across worksites, restaurants, and bars; and examine disparities in coverage associated with race/ethnicity.
Methods
Ordinance features are examined in five settings: municipal worksites, private-sector worksites, restaurants, bars in restaurants, and bars not in restaurants. This descriptive, time–series study analyzes changes in smoke-free ordinance content and population coverage from 2000 to 2007.
Results
In 2000, no Texas municipal populations were covered by smoke-free ordinances in more than one study setting. By 2007, over 25% of the state's municipal population resided in cities with smoke-free ordinances in all five settings, and 40% were smoke-free in three or more settings. By 2007, over 50% of the municipal population had smoke-free worksite ordinance protections; 40% had smoke-free protections in private worksites, restaurants, and bars in restaurants; and over 25% were protected in bars not in restaurants. Populations in predominantly minority cities had more ordinance protection from SHS.
Conclusions
Changes in smoke-free ordinance provisions have been rapid in Texas cities of all sizes and locations. Evaluating whther these local gains can translate into continued support for further municipal and state SHS legislation will be important.
aDepartment of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
bHealth Network of Evaluation and Training Systems, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
dInstitute for the Medical Humanities, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Phyllis M. Gingiss, DrPH, Professor, Public Health Education, University of Houston, Department of Health and Human Performance, 3855 Holman Street, Houston TX 77204-6014
The full text of this article is available via AJPM Online at www.ajpm-online.net; 1 unit of Category-1 CME credit is also available, with details on the website.
ABSTRACT