Quantcast
ZME Science
  • CoronavirusNEW
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Health & Medicine

Smoking ban in public places helps people quit, research shows

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
September 7, 2018
in Health & Medicine
ADVERTISEMENT

As a non-smoker with many smoking friends living in a country without a smoking ban, going out can be quite a hassle sometimes. Staying in smoky rooms, the way the clothes smell after getting home… I feel like I may be smoking just as well. But as it turns out, smoking bans help smokers just as much as they help non-smokers – if not more.

According to a study by the University of California San Diego, measures like baning smoking in public places and work are actually very effective in helping smokers cut back or entirely quit.

“When there’s a total smoking ban in the home, we found that smokers are more likely to reduce tobacco consumption and attempt to quit than when they’re allowed to smoke in some parts of the house,” said Wael K. Al-Delaimy, MD, PhD, professor and chief of the Division of Global Health in the UC San Diego Department of Family and Preventive Medicine in a press statement. “The same held true when smokers report a total smoking ban in their city or town. Having both home and city bans on smoking appears to be even more effective.”

It’s estimated that in the US, 43.8 million people (19%) of all people smoke. Personally, I find that to be quite a high number, but just compare it to other places in the world: in Russia, China and Indonesia, some 80% of all adult males smoke – so installing smoking bans in public places could do a world of good – literally.

ADVERTISEMENT
Male adult smoking rates in the world. Via Wikipedia.

For the study, researchers surveyed 1,718 smokers in the state of California. They found that total smoking bans in homes was way more effective than partial bans, in terms of reducing smoking and quitting it. As for demographics, researchers showed that home smoking bans were more effective in reducing cigarette consumption among females and people over 65 years, while total state bans were more effective in male smokers quitting – this could help law-makers from across the world to install better bans.

Get more science news like this...

Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

In 1994, California became the first state to ban smoking and surprisingly or not, it received a very positive response. The benefits of this ban were evident, at first for non-smokers, and in time, for ex-smokers as well. Recently popular coffee café Starbucks banned smoking 25 feet near its stores – but only in the US. Unfortunately, they don’t plan on extending the ban in other countries.

Tags: healthquit smokingsmokingsmoking ban
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Andrei's background is in geophysics, and he's been fascinated by it ever since he was a child. Feeling that there is a gap between scientists and the general audience, he started ZME Science -- and the results are what you see today.

Follow ZME on social media

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.