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Brian C. Kelly, MA, MPhil, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10032, 212 305-6961, bck12@columbia.edu
In March 2003, New York City implemented legislation which called for a ban of smoking in bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and other establishments. The express purpose of this legislation was to protect the health of workers and patrons from second-hand smoke. Though the validity of the public assertion of employee protection may be subject to debate, key secondary health effects of this law have emerged in the lives of club-going youth. This paper is based upon data derived from an ethnographic research project on club health issues in NYC. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork that occurred during the implementation of the ban and in-depth interviews with club-going youth, the paper provides a grounded analysis of youth reactions to the ban and a descriptive profile of the secondary health effects of the smoking ban in nightclubs. It explores the attitudes of club-going youth towards the ban and the ways in which the legislation shapes the behaviors of habitual smokers, “social smoking”, and the use of drugs within bars and clubs.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Urban Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.