Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #120398

Kelly Buettner-Schmidt, MS, BSN, Department of Nursing, Minot State University, 500 University Avenue West, Minot, ND 58707, 701-858-3256, kelly.schmidt@minotstateu.edu and Frank Moseley, PhD, College of Business, Minot State University, 500 University Avenue West, Minot, ND 58707.

Problem/Objective: Policy makers and community leaders in rural and frontier communities continue to question the economic impact, public/voter support, and compliance of smoke-free ordinances. An evaluation of a midwestern frontier community ordinance included an economic analysis, a voter survey, and a compliance assessment. Interested audiences may include tobacco control professionals and researchers.

Methods: The economic impact analysis was based upon sales tax data collect five years before and one year after ordinance implementation. Data was analyzed using linear regression analysis. A random telephone survey of 403 voters was conducted nearly two years post-implementation. The ordinance compliance assessment was a visual inspection of every establishment covered by the ordinance.

Results: Implementation of the ordinance had no significant effect on the fraction of sales to restaurants. Voters favored the ordinance by 80% to 17%; 88% agree restaurants are healthier for customers and employees; 78% believe the rights of customers and employees to breathe clean air are more important than the rights of smokers; and 61% to 35% support laws prohibiting smoking inside workplaces over the right of business owners to decide. The compliance assessment found a compliance rate of 96%.

Conclusions: Evaluation of a smoke-free ordinance in a midwestern frontier community adds another sector of the country demonstrating the neutral economic impact, high voter support and high compliance similar to ordinances across the country. Participant knowledge gained can be applied through dissemination of the findings to policy makers and community leaders in communities considering smoke-free ordinances.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess and describe the economic impact, voter support and compliance of a smoke-free ordinance in a midwestern frontier community.

Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.