Minnesota's smokefree policies: impact on cessation program participants

Abstract

Background: Smokefree policies are enacted to protect individuals from secondhand smoke; however, these laws may have broader cessation effects.

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between Minnesota's local and statewide smokefree policies and quitting outcomes among cessation program enrollees.

Methods: Data were collected from 2006 to 2008 from two groups of participants (n=1644 pre-statewide law; n=1273 post-statewide law) and analyzed in 2009. Website enrollees were surveyed by Internet or telephone 6 months post-enrollment. Others were surveyed by telephone 7 months post-enrollment.

Results: Those who enrolled in a cessation program after the statewide smokefree law were more likely to quit (p<0.05, relative risk [RR]=1.15) and were predicted to achieve a 30-day abstinence rate 4.1 percentage points greater than that achieved by those who quit pre-statewide law (30.9% vs 26.8%, respectively). Participants who quit post-statewide law were less likely to relapse and were predicted to have a relapse rate 6.4 percentage points below those who quit pre-statewide law (p<0.05, RR=0.87). Each additional year residing in or adjacent to a county with a local smokefree ordinance in place, up until the time of the statewide law, reduced the likelihood of achieving abstinence post-statewide law (p<0.001, RR=0.92) and increased the likelihood of relapse and the predicted relapse rate (p<0.05, RR=1.05).

Conclusions: Abstinence and relapse rates for those enrolling in cessation programs appeared more favorable after the implementation of Minnesota's statewide smokefree law, suggesting that smokefree policies may have a small but beneficial impact on cessation outcomes. Previous exposure to local smokefree ordinances may lessen this effect.