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Eastern European nations have higher smoking rates than their Western European neighbours; similarly, countries in the East lag behind the West in implementing smoking bans. 1-5 The purpose of this brief report is to assess support for bans on indoor smoking in five nations with high levels of tobacco use and comparatively few restrictions on limiting second-hand smoke (SHS). These nations are Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
In Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Turkey, there are complete smoking bans in healthcare, education and government facilities. Theatres and cinemas also ban smoking in these nations. The most permissive smoking facilities include pubs and bars. There are no restrictions in Romania and Turkey while Bulgaria and Croatia have partial restrictions. After 6 months of experimentation, Croatia partially eased their smoking ban in cafes in response to complaints from smokers and business owners. There are complete bans in indoor workplaces and offices in Bulgaria and Croatia, but only a partial restriction in Turkey and virtually no restrictions in Romania. 2 Despite these legal restrictions, compliance and enforcement have oftentimes been lax. 6
Methods
The data consist of a Eurobarometer (64.3) survey distributed in November to December 2005. 7 In each nation, the sample design consisted of a multistage random probability sample. 7 The survey research teams carried out a comparison between the sample and the universe in each nation. The universe description was based on Eurostat population data or was drawn from national statistical offices. For all countries, the survey team used a national weighting procedure, using marginal and intercellular weighting, based on the universe description. The iteration procedure took into account gender, age and size of locality. We used the STATA V.10 subprogram SVY: Logistic (regression) to adjust for the complexities of the sampling design. This allowed the application of sample weights for each nation. While the findings are similar when the weights were not utilised, the weighting procedure resulted generally in more conservative estimates and probability levels for the sample size. Further details on the universe sizes can be obtained. 6 The response rates are as follows: Bulgaria (76.2%), Croatia (49.3%), Romania (91.2%), Turkey (68.7%) and Northern Cyprus (89.8%). For the dependent variables, respondents were asked to express their support for...