KEY POINTS:
New Zealanders are embracing a smokefree lifestyle, with nine out of ten supporting the right to live and work in a smokefree environment, a Ministry of Health report says.
The report - After the Smoke Has Cleared: Evaluation of the Impact of a New Smokefree Law - was carried out by the University of Otago, University of Auckland and the Health Sponsorship Council, to evaluate the effects of the Smokefree Environments Amendment Act 2003.
Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor said since the introduction of the Smokefree Environments Amendment Act there had been a "huge change for the better" and a major buy-in from stakeholders and communities over the past two years.
"There is very strong support - more than 90 per cent - for the right to live and work in a smokefree environment and that continues to grow.
"In the same vein, more than 90 per cent of kiwis now report that they live in smokefree homes."
The study also showed support for a smoking ban in bars had increased - doubling to 74 per cent support in 2006 from 38 per cent in 2001, Mr O'Connor said.
"Self-reported second-hand smoke exposure in all homes has also fallen since 2004. Health Sponsorship Council surveys show self-reported second-hand smoke exposure in all homes fell from 20 per cent in 2003 to 9 per cent in 2006. Reductions were greater in Maori households."
There were also big improvements in the proportion of smokefree homes, even when a smoker lived there, he said.
In 2003, 59 per cent of Maori households with one or more smokers and one or more children were smokefree, increasing to 74 per cent in 2006. This compares to 65 per cent of similar non-Maori households in 2003 to 68 per cent in 2006.
"It's very refreshing to see that 96.5 per cent of kiwis believe its no longer okay to smoke around children."
Other findings in the research include:
* Evidence suggests the economic effects of smokefree legislation were broadly neutral or slightly positive on the hospitality industry and other sectors.
* Observed compliance in pubs and bars was close to 100 per cent. Most complaints concerned smoking on licensed premises. The number of complaints fell rapidly after the first month, with less than 20 per month since October 2005. Most complaints were resolved through letters, telephone calls and visits by enforcement staff.
* Prior to the Smokefree Environments Amendment Act 2003, at least 20 per cent of the adult workforce was exposed to second-hand smoke in the workplace. A study of 30 pubs and bars by ESR for this evaluation found that exposure to second-hand smoke reduced by 90 per cent after the law change.
* Social smokers are reporting smoking less when going out to bars and nightclubs than they did before the law change in 2004.
- NZPA
