OVERVIEW
Outdoor sports facilities with stands are a potential priority area for smokefree policies, given that people can be in relatively close proximity to each other and so can be exposed to secondhand smoke.
This study aimed to identify the extent and nature of smokefree signage at racecourses and sports facilities that had outdoor stands.
ABSTRACT
Smokefree signage is crucial to the implementation of smokefree policies for outdoor venues and for facilitating smoking denormalisation. Such signage helps to communicate the expected norms for not smoking at venues. Therefore, we aimed to identify such signage at racecourses and sports facilities that had outdoor stands. We surveyed the entrances of 25 racecourse and 25 sport facilities with outdoor stands, across New Zealand. There were smokefree signs at the main entrances of 40% of the sports facilities with outdoor stands, and at 16% of the 25 other entrances. None of the horse/greyhound racecourses had smokefree signage at any of their entrances.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information or to request a copy of the letter please contact:
George Thomson
University of Otago, Wellington
email george.thomson@otago.ac.nz