Smoking in the home: Changing attitudes and current practices

Objectives. Trends in attitudes and current practices concerning smoking in the home were examined. Methods. Data from population-based surveys of adults in Ontario, Canada, were analyzed. Results. Between 1992 and 1996, the percentage of respondents who agreed that parents spending time at home with small children should not smoke increased from 51% to 70%. In 1996, 34% of the homes surveyed were smoke-free. Smoke-free homes were associated with nonsmoking respondents and with the presence of children and no daily smokers in the home. Only 20% of homes with children and any daily smokers were smoke-free. Conclusions. Efforts are needed to assist parents in reducing children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the home.