NO BUTTS ABOUT IT: UNIQUE UH DATABASE
SHOWS TEXAS IS CRUSHING OUT SMOKING
HNETS Tracks Smoking Ordinances of All Texas Cities
HOUSTON, Aug. 8, 2006 — In the last five years, Texas cities
have been crushing out cigarettes and other tobacco products in
restaurants, bars and worksites at a faster rate than ever before.
The trend toward non-smoking ordinances is one of many findings
of the Texas Smoke-Free Ordinance Database created and maintained
at the University of Houston to categorize and track the progress
of smoking policies in Texas cities.
“This database is a one of kind system that allows policy
makers, advocates and concerned citizens to find out what’s
happening at the state and county levels on the issue of second
hand smoke,” Phyllis Gingiss, professor of public health education
in the UH department of health and human performance, said.
The database is funded by the Texas Department of State Health Services
and can be accessed at txshsord.coe.uh.edu/
Currently there are 240 Texas cities with smoking ordinances. More
than a quarter of those were passed since 2000.
Users of the Texas Smoke-Free Ordinance Database can conduct searches
using a city’s population or percentage of minorities as criteria.
They can access summaries of various ordinances in the state, select
areas of interest such as bars and restaurants, or search by a specific
city.
“Some users of the database are from cities that want to check
out current ordinances. Others are considering new or revised ordinances,
but want to check how other cities word their policies,” Gingiss
said. “Other users include police officers who want to see
how other cities enforce their smoking ordinances.”
The database is part of a larger HHP program called the Health Network
for Evaluation and Training System (HNETS). HNETS provides training
and technical assistance to schools, communities and healthcare
organizations seeking to promote health and wellness. Activities
include tobacco prevention studies, as well as research into health
insurance coverage for tobacco cessation, cancer, cardiovascular
disease and diabetes.
“It is interesting to see is how the non-smoking ordinances
have become more restrictive over the years,” Gingiss said.
“The emphasis for restaurants and businesses used to be just
on ventilation, but since it has been established that there is
no risk-free level of exposure to second-hand smoke, the trend is
to become a completely smoke-free public place.”
With the recent release of the U. S. Surgeon General’s report
that details the health hazards of second-hand smoke, use of the
database has greatly increased, Gingiss said.
Other Texas Smoke-Free Ordinance Database findings include:
• Texas cities that implemented 100 percent smoke free ordinances
in the last five years are Austin, Beaumont, Copperas Cove, El Paso
and Laredo.
• 46 percent of cities with smoking ordinances also require
municipal worksites to be 100 percent smoke-free.
• Two out of three smoking ordinances have an enforcement
authority, usually a law officer.
• 48 percent of ordinances assign penalties to business for
violations; 81 percent provide penalties to smokers.
Gingiss has conducted health research for more than 25 years and
is the author of nearly 200 publications. Much of her research has
focused on understanding and addressing the needs and concerns of
children and youth and how their families, schools, communities,
health-care providers and public policies can support those needs.
She is currently actively working on the Texas Tobacco Prevention
Initiative to track and monitor changes in schools, communities
and managed care organizations regarding tobacco prevention and
control.
For more information on the Health Network for Evaluation and Training
System (HNETS), please visit www.uh.edu/hnets/.
For more information on the UH Department of Health and Human Performance,
please visit www.hhp.uh.edu/.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan
research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research
centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with
corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse
research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education,
research and service with more than 35,000 students.
For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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