Alternations in Smoking Habits of Active Smoker Health Care Professionals after the ‘Law on Prevention of Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Tobacco Products’

Objective: To evaluate approaches of active smoker health care workers to the Law on Prevention of Harmful Effects of Tobacco and Tobacco Products, to determine smoking behaviour changes and factors associated with this changes after the law.
Methods: Study population established by 1096 active smoker health care workers that was working at state hospitals and 112 emergency department in Çorum. Questionnaires were delivered by hand to the participants. The survey was created from 32 closed-ended questions associated with demographic findings, smoking habbits and smoking ban. Data were obtained through questionaires filled out by participants. Statistical Package for SPSS 16.0 was used for analysis.
Results: Response rate was 47.7%. Eighty five percent of the participants had a positive opinion toward the ban. In sociodemographic characteristics only number of years of service in healthcare was associated with the opinion toward the ban. Years smoked, pack-years and addiction level were associated with a negative opinion toward the ban. Participants who were annoyed to smoke outdoors, who had tried to quit, and who do not smoke in the same envorinment with children tended to express a positive opinion.
Conclusion: Approaches of active smoker health care workers to the smoking ban is similar to society. Health professionals whose role in the fight against tobacco is started by “the responsibility of being a role model” should be taken to smoking control programs as a priority and with a holistic approach.