Do teens and young adults support clean indoor air policies?

Clean indoor air (CIA) policies primarily aim to reduce secondhand smoke exposure but may also affect norms and attitudes about smoking-related policies as well as smoking behaviors. In this study, we evaluate attitudes towards CIA policies and smoking behaviors among a sample of 3,522 participants aged 16-23. We utilize data from the Minnesota Adolescent Community Cohort (MACC) study, a population-based, observational cohort study across Minnesota and four other Midwest states. Data were gathered via telephone interviews at three time points (six-month intervals) from October 2006 to March 2008. Topics included demographics, smoking behaviors, and attitudes towards smoking policies in bars and restaurants. We will assess potential changes in attitudes over time among various sub-groups. We will also assess relationships between attitudes toward CIA policies and smoking behaviors, as well as changes in attitudes and behaviors among Minnesota participants (vs. participants from other states) before and after the Minnesota's statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants (effective October 2007). Baseline results show that 39% of participants thought that smoking should be prohibited in bars/clubs and 66% thought that smoking should be prohibited in restaurants. Females were significantly more likely than males to support CIA laws, with 46.3% of females (vs. 31.1%) in support of smoke-free bars and 73.6% (vs. 57.8%) in support of smoke-free restaurants. Past-month smokers were significantly more likely than never-smokers (18.3% vs. 2.5%) to think smoking should be allowed in bars. Bivariate and multivariate results will be presented and policy implications will be discussed.