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

Abstract #105530

Elizabeth G. Klein, MPH¹, Jean L. Forster, PhD¹, Brittany McFadden, BA², and Debra L. Weinreis, BS, MA³. (1) Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd Street, Ste 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, 612-626-1799, klein_l@epi.umn.edu, (2) Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation & Initiative for Smoke-Free Apartments, Association for Nonsmokers-MN, 2395 University Ave. W, Ste 310, St Paul, MN 55114-1512, (3) Recreation Sports, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association, 200 Charles St NE, Fridley, MN 55432

Minnesota has a growing number of cities and counties with a tobacco-free policy in outdoor park grounds, beaches, and athletic facilities. To learn more about experiences in establishing such policies, researchers phone interviewed park and recreation directors, staff, and board members from across the state. Of the 452 individuals interviewed from 269 communities, 20% had successfully implemented tobacco-free park policies. Data will be presented on the attitudes and experiences of park representatives who manage parks with and without tobacco-free park policies. The majority of those representatives with no tobacco-free policies in place reported concerns about penalties for violators (73%), enforcement (90%), and lack of public interest in such policies (49%), among others. In contrast, those park representatives who implemented tobacco-free policies reported very few problems. Factors that contributed to successful implementation will also be reported. In a second study, a random sample of Minnesota residents was surveyed to assess public support for tobacco-free park policies. The mean response from the general public showed some or strong support for tobacco-free policies; specific reasons for support and opposition will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to describe at least three methods used in communities to successfully implement tobacco-free park policies.

Keywords: Tobacco Policy,

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.