The smoking ban: Perceptions of safety on Edinburgh’s scene

Abstract

The smoking ban was introduced in Scotland on the 26th March, 2006 making smoking in enclosed public places illegal (Haw et al., 2006). Generally the ban has the support of the majority of Scotland’s population. For example, of the 1,040 individuals interviewed, 73% thought that the ban had been very successful or successful. A number of strategies have been set in motion to assess the significant health gains that the ban entails for the population of Scotland. However, one aspect of health that has not been considered in the evaluative process is that of personal safety as a consequence of standing outside public venues (Clearingtheairscotland.com, 2007). In Scotland, those studies aimed at evaluating the impact of the smoking ban have, to all intents and purposes, ignored members of Scotland’s LGB population, focusing primarily upon the impact of the ban for families and children. Thus, LGBs represent a silent group in this nationwide evaluation. Consequently, the aim of this exploratory (qualitative) study is to understand the effects of the new social regime on LGBs who smoke.