[Opinions and attitudes of school employees on selected elements of tobacco control policies and strategies for tobacco control].

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization has taken actions at international level in order to reduce the tobacco epidemic. Therefore Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and MPOWER package were developed. The strategies contained in these documents are considered to be the most effective and efficient. Compliance with these guidelines and broad public support for the implemented solutions has positive effects on the population level, and also at the local level, eg. voivodeship or district. The aim of the study was to investigate the attitudes and opinions of employees of schools on selected elements of tobacco control policies and strategies for tobacco control.

Material and methods: During the period from November 2014 and May 2015 employees working in 60 schools in Piotrkowski county were examined. Conducting a survey among the personnel employed in schools an anonymous questionnare adopted from the study Global School Personnel Survey (GSPS) was applied.

Results: Among all surveyed every third respondent believes that smoking bans in the workplace help smokers to stop smoking. Among all respondents, half of the respondents believe that smoking bans in the workplace help former smokers to maintain tobacco abstinence. Among all respondents 37.4% declared their support for raising taxes on tobacco products.

Conclusions: Effective implementation of smoking ban in public places and the introduction of other provisions of the Act on the protection of health against consequences of tobacco use and tobacco products require broad information campaigns to increase support to tobacco control activities.