Do exceptions to smokefree environment work? A case study of designated smoking rooms in Indian civil airports
Background: According to the WHO, 603,000 people die annually from secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, of which nearly 200,000 is in Southeast Asia. India's national tobacco control legislation provides an exception to create designated smoking rooms (DSRs) in certain hospitality sector and airpor...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2017-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Noncommunicable Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ijncd.org/article.asp?issn=2468-8827;year=2017;volume=2;issue=3;spage=69;epage=77;aulast=Pandey |
| _version_ | 1818135783840677888 |
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| author | Ashish Kumar Pandey Anil G Jacob C Palanivel Amol Dongre Rana J Singh Pranay Lal |
| author_facet | Ashish Kumar Pandey Anil G Jacob C Palanivel Amol Dongre Rana J Singh Pranay Lal |
| author_sort | Ashish Kumar Pandey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: According to the WHO, 603,000 people die annually from secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, of which nearly 200,000 is in Southeast Asia. India's national tobacco control legislation provides an exception to create designated smoking rooms (DSRs) in certain hospitality sector and airport.
Objective: To assess the compliance of DSRs in India's civil airports to national tobacco control legislation and explore the perspectives of key stakeholders regarding its purpose and usefulness.
Methodology: A mixed-method study (triangulation design) where both quantitative (structured survey) and qualitative (key informant interviews) methods were used to measure the compliance level of DSRs and to explore the stakeholder's perceptions on DSRs, respectively.
Results and Conclusions: Our survey found that all DSRs met with the legislative requirements as specified under the Smokefree Rules. However, nine of the 15 DSRs surveyed were found to be ineffective as they spread SHS in adjacent no smoking areas. Contrary to the prevailing belief that smokers feel an irresistible urge to smoke, our interview results suggest that such urge was entirely manageable even for longer durations. Respondents (smokers) also shared that some DSRs because of poor design and lack of proper ventilation were suffocating and therefore were not a desirable place for smoking. In addition, half of the DSRs violated the tobacco advertising provision. The existing rationale of providing a dedicated space (DSRs) given the operational and public health concerns is questionable. The survey findings calls for elimination of the exceptions provided to smokers in the form of DSRs in public places such as airports. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:30:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a380cd078be54cb2acefb28ecf8855ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2468-8827 2468-8835 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:30:00Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Noncommunicable Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-a380cd078be54cb2acefb28ecf8855ca2022-12-22T01:13:02ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsInternational Journal of Noncommunicable Diseases2468-88272468-88352017-01-0123697710.4103/jncd.jncd_26_17Do exceptions to smokefree environment work? A case study of designated smoking rooms in Indian civil airportsAshish Kumar PandeyAnil G JacobC PalanivelAmol DongreRana J SinghPranay LalBackground: According to the WHO, 603,000 people die annually from secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, of which nearly 200,000 is in Southeast Asia. India's national tobacco control legislation provides an exception to create designated smoking rooms (DSRs) in certain hospitality sector and airport. Objective: To assess the compliance of DSRs in India's civil airports to national tobacco control legislation and explore the perspectives of key stakeholders regarding its purpose and usefulness. Methodology: A mixed-method study (triangulation design) where both quantitative (structured survey) and qualitative (key informant interviews) methods were used to measure the compliance level of DSRs and to explore the stakeholder's perceptions on DSRs, respectively. Results and Conclusions: Our survey found that all DSRs met with the legislative requirements as specified under the Smokefree Rules. However, nine of the 15 DSRs surveyed were found to be ineffective as they spread SHS in adjacent no smoking areas. Contrary to the prevailing belief that smokers feel an irresistible urge to smoke, our interview results suggest that such urge was entirely manageable even for longer durations. Respondents (smokers) also shared that some DSRs because of poor design and lack of proper ventilation were suffocating and therefore were not a desirable place for smoking. In addition, half of the DSRs violated the tobacco advertising provision. The existing rationale of providing a dedicated space (DSRs) given the operational and public health concerns is questionable. The survey findings calls for elimination of the exceptions provided to smokers in the form of DSRs in public places such as airports.http://www.ijncd.org/article.asp?issn=2468-8827;year=2017;volume=2;issue=3;spage=69;epage=77;aulast=PandeyDesignated Smoking RoomsLegislationSecondhand SmokeSmokefreeTobacco Control |
| spellingShingle | Ashish Kumar Pandey Anil G Jacob C Palanivel Amol Dongre Rana J Singh Pranay Lal Do exceptions to smokefree environment work? A case study of designated smoking rooms in Indian civil airports International Journal of Noncommunicable Diseases Designated Smoking Rooms Legislation Secondhand Smoke Smokefree Tobacco Control |
| title | Do exceptions to smokefree environment work? A case study of designated smoking rooms in Indian civil airports |
| title_full | Do exceptions to smokefree environment work? A case study of designated smoking rooms in Indian civil airports |
| title_fullStr | Do exceptions to smokefree environment work? A case study of designated smoking rooms in Indian civil airports |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do exceptions to smokefree environment work? A case study of designated smoking rooms in Indian civil airports |
| title_short | Do exceptions to smokefree environment work? A case study of designated smoking rooms in Indian civil airports |
| title_sort | do exceptions to smokefree environment work a case study of designated smoking rooms in indian civil airports |
| topic | Designated Smoking Rooms Legislation Secondhand Smoke Smokefree Tobacco Control |
| url | http://www.ijncd.org/article.asp?issn=2468-8827;year=2017;volume=2;issue=3;spage=69;epage=77;aulast=Pandey |
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