San Francisco smoke-free outdoor event policy

Introduction:

This public opinion survey was designed to gauge the public's perception of a citywide smoke-free policy for street events in San Francisco, as well as the prevalence of secondhand smoke in street events.

Hypothesis:

Project Advocates predicted positive feedback from the public regarding the implementation of a smoke-free street event policy due to the fact that the majority of San Francisco residents are self-reported non-smokers.

Methods:

We collected 596 public opinion surveys at seven outdoor events throughout San Francisco from August to October 2011. Events were chosen because they occurred during the data collection period, they were open to the public, did not require an entrance fee, and were in diverse areas of San Francisco. The survey was translated in Chinese, since two events surveyed had a large Chinese-speaking population. Non-smokers and smokers alike were welcomed to complete the survey. Bias against smokers was reduced by randomly surveying any event participant.

Results:

Based on our research and preliminary analysis of the 596 public opinion surveys, we found that 67% favored making all street events in San Francisco smoke-free, and 58.9% had been inconvenienced by secondhand smoke at street events. Additionally, we found that 86% of survey participants did not smoke. Some bias in the survey may have resulted in an underrepresentation of families due to the fact that adults with children were not approached.

Conclusion:

This public opinion survey is important for passing a citywide policy to make street events free from second-hand smoke in San Francisco.