 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Stanton A Glantz, PhD and Rebecca Wilson-Loots. University of California, San Francisco, Center for Tobacco Control Research & Education, 530 Parnassus Ave., Suite 366, San Francisco, CA 94143-1390, 415-476-3893, glantz@medicine.ucsf.edu
Background: Because it is widely played, often in smaller communities where efforts to enact local clean indoor air ordinances begin, claims that smoking restrictions will adversely affect bingo games is used as an argument against these policies. We used publicly available data from Massachusetts to assess the impact of 100% smokefree ordinances on profits from bingo and other gambling sponsored by charitable organizations between 1985 and 2001. Methods: We also used a general linear model with net profits (adjusted to 2001 dollars) as the dependent variable, and community (as a fixed effect), year, and the length of time the ordinance had been in force as the independent variables. Results: Adjusted profits fell over time independent of the effects of the ordinances (p<.001), probably because of competition from the Massachusetts Lottery and casinos, which offer larger prizes. In small communities, smokefree ordinances were not associated with a significant change (p=.152) in this trend. In larger communities, the policies were associated with a significant increase in revenues (p<.001). Multiple linear regression of total state profits against time and the percentage of the population in communities that allow charitable gaming but prohibit smoking show a significant fall in total revenues at a rate of -$3.40 ± 0.54 (SE) million/year (p<.001) but no effect of the fraction of population covered by smokefree policies ($-4.86 ± 22.38 million/percent smokefree; p=.831). Conclusion: Policy makers can implement smokefree policies without concern that these policies will adversely affect charitable gaming.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Public/Private Partnerships
Related Web page: tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu
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.