People who smoke and formerly smoked do support a smoking ban in open spaces during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
Journal
Tobacco Control
ISSN
0964-4563
Date Issued
2025-12-04
Author(s)
Marcela Fu
Yolanda Castellano
Olena Tigova
Pete Driezen
Anne C K Quah
Geoffrey T Fong
Esteve Fernández
Type
journal-article
Abstract
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Background</jats:title>
<jats:p>Spain implemented an extensive outdoor smoking ban during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We examined support for this restriction during and beyond the pandemic among people who currently and formerly smoked.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Methods</jats:title>
<jats:p>Cross-sectional study. The 2021 ITC EUREST-PLUS Spain Survey used a multistage sampling to obtain a representative sample of people who currently or formerly smoked (n=1006). We estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) to examine associations with ban support during and after the pandemic. Analyses accounted for the complex sampling design and were weighted to ensure representativeness.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Results</jats:title>
<jats:p>Most people who currently (79.2%) and formerly smoked (94.6%) supported the outdoor smoking ban when a safe interpersonal distance could not be maintained during the pandemic. Support for a permanent ban remained substantial (61.4% and 87.2%, respectively). Those who currently smoke were more likely to support bans during and after the pandemic if they had smoke-free homes (PR=1.11; PR=1.29, respectively), understood secondhand smoke harms to health (PR=1.40; PR=1.65), had tried to quit (PR=1.14; PR=1.30) and self-reported as healthy (PR=1.40; PR=1.47). Those who formerly smoked were more likely to support bans during the pandemic if they had smoke-free homes (PR=1.08) and did not self-report as healthy (PR=0.95); and after the pandemic if they had quit smoking for ≥6 months (PR=1.23) and used alternative tobacco products (PR=1.17).</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title>
<jats:p>Most people who currently or formerly smoked in Spain supported the outdoor smoking ban during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This high acceptance suggests that the pandemic may have created an opportunity to strengthen tobacco control.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:title>Background</jats:title>
<jats:p>Spain implemented an extensive outdoor smoking ban during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We examined support for this restriction during and beyond the pandemic among people who currently and formerly smoked.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Methods</jats:title>
<jats:p>Cross-sectional study. The 2021 ITC EUREST-PLUS Spain Survey used a multistage sampling to obtain a representative sample of people who currently or formerly smoked (n=1006). We estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) to examine associations with ban support during and after the pandemic. Analyses accounted for the complex sampling design and were weighted to ensure representativeness.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Results</jats:title>
<jats:p>Most people who currently (79.2%) and formerly smoked (94.6%) supported the outdoor smoking ban when a safe interpersonal distance could not be maintained during the pandemic. Support for a permanent ban remained substantial (61.4% and 87.2%, respectively). Those who currently smoke were more likely to support bans during and after the pandemic if they had smoke-free homes (PR=1.11; PR=1.29, respectively), understood secondhand smoke harms to health (PR=1.40; PR=1.65), had tried to quit (PR=1.14; PR=1.30) and self-reported as healthy (PR=1.40; PR=1.47). Those who formerly smoked were more likely to support bans during the pandemic if they had smoke-free homes (PR=1.08) and did not self-report as healthy (PR=0.95); and after the pandemic if they had quit smoking for ≥6 months (PR=1.23) and used alternative tobacco products (PR=1.17).</jats:p>
</jats:sec>
<jats:sec>
<jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title>
<jats:p>Most people who currently or formerly smoked in Spain supported the outdoor smoking ban during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This high acceptance suggests that the pandemic may have created an opportunity to strengthen tobacco control.</jats:p>
</jats:sec>