Differences in smoking characteristics among adults with and without children in the home in New York City

Among children, the most common venue for exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is their own home. Quitting smoking and having a smoke-free home (SFH) policy are the most effective steps adults can take to reduce children's exposure to SHS. Data from the New York City Community Health Survey (NYC CHS), an annual cross-sectional survey of about 10,000 adults, were used to assess 1) smoking prevalence among adults with and without children in the home; 2) the proportion of smokers who lived with at least one child under age 18; and 3) differences in quit attempts, intent to quit, and SFH policies between smokers with and without children. Differences within each year and across years were examined. From 2002 to 2007, more than one-third of adult smokers in NYC lived with children. In most years, smoking prevalence was lower among adults living with children (range: 16%-19%) than those without children (range: 19%-23%). Having a SFH policy was higher among smokers living with children (range: 39%-46%) than without children (range: 21%-30%). From the earliest to latest year that data were available, SFH policies and quit attempts only increased among smokers without children (43% and 10% increase, respectively). There was no change in intent to quit among either group. In NYC, while SFH policies are higher among smokers living with children than without children, a lack of improvement in SFH policies, quit attempts, and intent to quit rates suggests the need to intensify interventions for smokers living with children.