Smoking bans work with young people. That’s one of the findings of a study conducted by an Ohio State University sociologist.
OSU Professor Mike Vuolo analyzed smoking data from around the country. He found that a significant number of young people who smoked less than a pack a day gave up tobacco completely.
“When a smoking ban goes into effect, young people are indeed less likely to smoke,” Vuolo says.
Vuolo found that young men responded to bans; young women did not.
“For males, 19 percent when there was no smoking ban and 13 percent when there was a ban. But for females it was 11 percent regardless,” he says.
People who smoked more than a pack-a-day did not change their smoking habits. But he says:
“In the future, as we pass more bans, fewer people are going to be likely to reach the level of dependence,” says Vuolo.
The study, co-authored by Purdue’s Brian Kelly, is published in the current issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.