Evaluation of the impact of a smoking ban in a large Paris hospital.

The impact of a recent French law banning smoking in public places was evaluated in a large Paris hospital by asking hospital employees to complete the same anonymous questionnaire in 1985 (before the law) and in 1993 (after the law). Questionnaires were completed onsite. A few items relating specifically to the smoking ban were added to the: 1993 questionnaire. The participation rate was about 80% on both occasions. Thirty-two per cent of 1993 respondents were smokers, and among them 80% reported no difficulty in refraining from smoking in smoke-free areas. Exsmokers and nonsmokers hardened their negative attitudes toward smoking between 1985 and 1993. The proportions of smokers and exsmokers were similar in 1985 and 1993. Use of lower-tar and -nicotine cigarettes by smokers rose from 11% in 1985 to 50.8% in 1993. Overall, fewer respondents were favorable to smoking bans in 1993 than in 1985 (in nurses, 60.6% vs 71.0%, P=0.03), but differences were seen according to smoking status. Fewer 1993 than 1985 respondents believed that educating the public about smoking was important (P<0.001). These data suggest fairly good acceptance of the smoking ban by hospital employees.