Table 3. Persuasiveness of Messages Opposing or Supporting Smoke-Free MUH Policies Among MUH Resident Nonsmokers (n = 452) and Smokers (n = 300).
| Issue | Messagea | Nonsmokers, Mean Score (SD)b | Smokers, Mean Score (SD)b | P Valuec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposing | ||||
| Health | We can accommodate both smokers and nonsmokers with common sense steps, like designating smoking areas and improving ventilation in apartment and condo complexes. | 5.1 (2.6) | 6.7 (2.1) | <.001 |
| Youth tobacco use prevention | People with children are not forced to live in buildings where smoking is allowed. If they want to avoid smoke, they can find housing where it isn’t a problem. | 4.0 (2.7) | 5.7 (2.4) | <.001 |
| Economic impact | Regulating smoke-free policies in apartment and condo complexes will cause them to close or lose revenue, which could negatively impact property maintenance and value. | 3.5 (2.4) | 5.0 (2.2) | <.001 |
| Individual rights and responsibility | People have the right to smoke in their own home. | 5.8 (2.5) | 7.2 (2.0) | <.001 |
| Property owners, not the government, should decide whether to permit smoking in their properties. This decision is for them, not the government. | 5.2 (2.8) | 6.9 (2.1) | <.001 | |
| People are not forced to live in buildings that allow smoking or to spend time in community spaces in multiunit complexes. If they want to avoid smoking, they should avoid places where smoking occurs in their buildings. | 4.1 (2.3) | 6.1 (2.2) | <.001 | |
| Morality and religion | Ensuring that we are accepting of smokers in our home community is a testament to God. | 2.55 (2.2) | 3.65 (2.6) | .17 |
| Hospitality | Ensuring that smokers are comfortable in their own homes is respectful and reflects good manners. | 4.7 (2.4) | 6.0 (2.4) | <.001 |
| Supporting | ||||
| Health | Smoke-free home rules lead to reduced secondhand smoke exposure and reduced smoking. | 6.8 (2.1) | 5.7 (2.3) | <.001 |
| Cigarettes are a major cause of residential fires and related deaths. | 5.8 (2.2) | 4.95 (2.3) | <.001 | |
| Youth tobacco use prevention | Youth who live in places that allow smoking in the home are more likely to become smokers. | 6.0 (2.4) | 5.4 (2.5) | <.001 |
| Economic impact | New York realtors have reported that smokers’ residences are harder to sell than nonsmokers’ residences. | 6.5 (2.3) | 5.4 (2.4) | <.001 |
| Maine’s Sanford Housing Authority found that the cost of renovating smokers’ units ranged from $1,070–$1,670 versus $550 for a nonsmoking unit. | 6.5 (2.4) | 5.6 (2.3) | <.001 | |
| Some insurance companies offer discounts on fire, life, liability, and property insurance to multiunit housing complexes that have adopted smoke-free policies. | 6.5 (2.3) | 6.0 (2.0) | <.001 | |
| Individual rights and responsibility | You have the right to breathe clean air in your home. | 7.8 (1.8) | 7.7 (1.7) | .42 |
| Your loved ones have the right to breathe smoke-free air in your home. | 7.2 (2.4) | 6.5 (2.6) | <.001 | |
| Landlords and homeowners associations should be able to ban smoking in their properties. | 6.8 (2.5) | 6.1 (2.5) | .003 | |
| Morality and religion | Ensuring that we and our neighbors have clean air to breathe in our homes is a testament to God. | 4.3 (2.9) | 3.8 (2.6) | .11 |
| Hospitality | Ensuring that everyone has clean air to breathe in their homes is respectful and reflects good manners. | 6.9 (2.1) | 6.3 (2.3) | <.001 |
Abbreviations: MUH, multiunit housing; SD, standard deviation.
b
On a scale of 1 (not at all persuasive) to 9 (extremely persuasive).
c
All P values were adjusted by controlling for racial/ethnic minority category and residence (southeastern United States versus other) with reactions to each message as outcomes.