Second-Hand Smoke in the Home and in the Car

Background

In 2001, the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS) identified a number of strategic directions for the next decade, with one of them being reducing the number of people exposed to second-hand smoke. It is estimated that exposure to second-hand smoke causes approximately 1,000 deaths per year in Canada . According to the 2004 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS), close to 500,000 children under the age of 12 were regularly exposed to second-hand smoke with the numbers reaching over 1 million when you include children 13-18. Second-hand smoke (SHS) contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, 50 of which are associated with or known to cause cancer. Second-hand smoke has been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and many other paediatric health problems, including asthma.

Health Canada is broadening its long-term social marketing strategy for tobacco control. Second-hand smoke is a major focus of the long-term strategy and more specifically social marketing campaigns aimed at reducing exposure in the home, vehicle and workplace. Second-hand smoke in the home and vehicle continue to be a priority from a social marketing point of view due to the fact that smoking in the home and car are not regulated by law.

The Tobacco Control Programme (TCP) adopted a comprehensive and integrated approach to the protection of Canadians from second-hand smoke. This includes developing resources, mass media campaigns, engaging youth in second-hand smoke issues (Health Canada's Youth Action Committee) and working with partners in collaborative arrangements. Resources include:

• A toolkit that will encourage and support youth advocacy on creating smoke-free spaces;
• A toolkit designed to help municipalities plan, implement and evaluate non-smoking by-laws; and
• A new workplace resource, which assists employees and employers in implementing non-smoking policies in the workplace.

Social marketing campaigns around the dangers of second-hand smoke began in 2002 with the 'target' ad, which focused on SHS in the home. The primary audience was adults 25-54 (with children) and the objective of the campaign was to increase awareness of the dangers of second-hand smoke in the home and that smoke travels from one room to the other. In the fall of 2002, Health Canada ran two SHS campaigns, one focused on dangers of second-hand smoke in the workplace and the other aimed at youth 14-19. The focus of these campaigns was awareness building as research showed many youth and workers were not aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke. The SHS workplace campaign was based on a testimonial from Heather Crowe, a former waitress who contracted lung cancer from being exposed to second-hand smoke in the hospitality industry. The workplace campaign emerged as one of Health Canada's most profiled tobacco-related initiatives due in part to the fact that on the eve of the campaign launch, Heather Crowe won her case with the Ontario Workplace Safety Insurance Board. Health Canada also ran a separate aboriginal campaign and mainstream cessation campaign, both of which complimented the second-hand smoke strategy.

Campaign Description

In the spring of 2005, Health Canada launched a campaign targeting parents with the goal of reducing the exposure of children to second-hand smoke. The campaign consisted of television, radio and direct mail components.

Health Canada's second-hand smoke campaign is aimed at reducing the number of children exposed to second-hand smoke in the home and vehicle by focusing on the source and eventual solution to this issue, parents who smoke or allow smoking around their children. Health Canada wants to make it clear that smoking in the home and vehicle around children is unacceptable. Although cessation will be mentioned in some materials as one option, the second-hand smoke campaign will not emphasize cessation. Focus testing shows that the use of cessation messages in second-hand smoke campaigns may give smokers the impression that in order to prevent exposure to second-hand smoke, they must quit smoking. While this may be the preferred result, the goal of this multi-year campaign is to create smoke-free homes and vehicles, meaning that smokers can smoke outside their homes and vehicles, quit smoking altogether or simply ensure that others don't smoke in their homes/vehicles.

Research Monitoring and Evaluation

A baseline survey of parents (smokers) on second-hand smoke in the car and home was conducted by Ekos on behalf of Health Canada in March 2004. It indicated that close to 50% of parents who smoke, continue to do so in the home and car.

In January 2005, Health Canada conducted final testing (disaster check) of the 'Target' television creative and in February 2005, tested the final radio ads (Safety and Kids).

In March 2005, Health Canada conducted an evaluation survey of over 1,000 parents (smokers/non-smokers living with smokers). The evaluation survey was conducted to measure advertising recall, awareness of issue, behaviour change and opinions of Government of Canada role in health issues. Both the television and radio components of the campaign tested very well with parents (smokers and non-smokers living with smokers). Following the 2004-2005 campaign, it was determined that parents who smoke feel that opening a window, smoking in another room and using air purifiers are sufficient to reduce their children's exposure to SHS. This is a problem and in order to address this misconception, Health Canada will be conducting additional testing in the fall of 2005 to determine why parents continue to smoke in the home and to study various related topics, such as barriers to a smoke-free home and car.

There is considerable research available on second-hand smoke in the workplace, but there is a need for additional research on exposure to second-hand smoke in the home and car, therefore Health Canada will be conducting research in the area prior to the 2005-2006 campaign.

Summary Information