Patron support for tobacco-free policies at Wild Waters Adventures Park

Secondhand smoke (SHS) continues to be a major health problem that increases risks of respiratory problems like asthma, emphysema, and cancer. Voluntary tobacco-free policies in family entertainment venues provide the opportunity to implement a permanent mechanism to prevent exposure to SHS. The purpose of this study was to determine public support for the adoption of a voluntary tobacco-free policy in a family entertainment venue. Procedures: A seven-item survey was administered to a convenience sample of Wild Waters Adventures Park patrons. The survey questions addressed demographic information, smoking status, smoking-related illnesses, knowledge of health/illness effects of second hand smoke exposure), and support for the adoption of permanent policies to make Wild Waters Adventures Park an entirely tobacco-free establishment. Results: A total of 284 surveys were completed by patrons at Wild Waters Adventures Park. The mean age of the participants was 30.5 years. Over 85% of the participants indicated that they would support the adoption of a policy to make the Wild Waters Adventures Park entirely tobacco-free. Only 45.1% of the participants indicated that they would support only a designated smoking area. Pearson Chi-Square with Yates Correction Factor revealed that there were no significant differences between support of a tobacco-free policy and gender (c² = 3.430, df = 4, p=.489) or respondents' age (c² = 2.893, df = 4, p=.576). Nonsmokers were more likely to support the adoption of a policy for the park to be entirely tobacco-free (c² = 48.303, df = 4, p=.0001). Further findings and recommendations will be discussed.