Learning Objectives: Identify critical components to successful focus groups. Describe key strategies to achieve compliance with smoke free bar laws. List facilitators and barriers to changing store practices around tobacco sales to minors and in-store tobacco marketing.
Abstract: Audience: This panel is directed toward practitioners and researchers who are: (1) implementing smokefree bar policies; and, (2) developing strategies to reduce illegal tobacco sales to minors and tobacco marketing in stores.
Key Points: California began tackling implementation of a smoke-free bar law before its January 1, 1998 implementation date, by conducting focus groups among California bar patrons. Bar patrons provided critical perspectives on bar attendance practices, preferences for smokefree environments, and concerns with or support for smokefree bar policies. This information was used to educate business owners and wait staff about the law and to develop an advertising and public relations strategy to educate the public. In 2001, California again used formative research to learn about tobacco retailers’ knowledge of California and local laws, the amount and placement of in-store advertising, their participation in tobacco industry incentive programs, their business challenges and perspectives about new policies to reduce youth access. This information was used to launch a new retail environment campaign.
Educational Experience: Our experiences with planning, recruiting and conducting focus groups with tobacco bar patrons and tobacco retailers in various California communities demonstrate the usefulness of focus groups in tobacco control program conceptualization. Key findings will be shared.
Benefits: Before spending scarce resources on interventions, it is critical to conduct formative research. Focus groups are a valuable qualitative tool for learning about how target groups view specific public health problems, opportunities and barriers to behavior change in specific types of work environments, and for exploring potential intervention strategies.
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