Exploring voluntary tobacco-related initiatives by businesses

描述(由申请人提供)：烟草使用是美国最重要的可预防的死亡和疾病原因。消费者正常使用烟草产品会导致多种类型的癌症，但烟草摄入量仍在继续，香烟仍然广泛存在并积极推广。烟草控制通过地方和州的强制政策取得了进展，包括清洁室内空气法和税收。最近，不同地区的一些企业在没有法定授权的情况下实施了自愿的烟草相关政策。例子包括在缺乏清洁室内空气法规的地区的无烟餐厅，以及杂货店停止香烟销售。然而，人们对企业的这种自愿创新知之甚少。这个项目探讨了企业为什么以及如何发起这样的政策，以及媒体和公众对这些政策的反应。更多地了解这一新现象对烟草控制具有重要的战略意义，因为这种自愿政策具有使烟草去正常化的效果，并可在缺乏这些政策的地方作为更全面政策的范本或先驱。利用案例研究和媒体分析，我们将研究企业的各种自愿烟草倡议，并分析其对烟草控制的影响。具体目标1：对实施了自愿烟草相关政策的企业进行一组案例研究(n=20)，以描述企业为什么以及如何制定这些政策，并探索公众和媒体对这些政策的反应。案例研究将包括采访、焦点小组、观察和相关媒体报道的分析。具体目标2：审查1995-2010年间全国范围内的企业对自愿烟草相关政策的地方和国家媒体报道的范围、内容和框架。这项创新的研究将为公共健康倡导者如何与企业合作制定烟草政策提供必要的知识。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Tobacco use is the most important preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. Normal consumer use of tobacco products causes multiple types of cancers, yet tobacco uptake continues and cigarettes remain widely available and aggressively promoted. Tobacco control has advanced through mandated local and state policies, including clean indoor air laws and taxation. Recently, a number of businesses in different regions have implemented voluntary tobacco-related policies absent legal mandates. Examples include smoke-free restaurants in areas lacking clean indoor air laws, and grocery stores discontinuing cigarette sales. However, little is known about such voluntary innovations by businesses. This project explores why and how businesses initiate such policies, and media and public responses to them. Understanding more about this emerging phenomenon is strategically important for tobacco control, because such voluntary policies have tobacco- denormalizing effects and may serve as models or precursors to more comprehensive policies in places where they are lacking. Using case studies and media analyses, we will study various voluntary tobacco initiatives by businesses and analyze their implications for tobacco control. Specific Aim #1: Conduct a set of case studies (n=20) of businesses that have implemented voluntary tobacco-related policies in order to describe why and how businesses create these policies, and explore public and media responses to them. Case studies will include interviews, focus groups, observations, and analysis of related media coverage. Specific Aim #2: Examine the extent, content, and framing of local and national media coverage of voluntary tobacco-related policies by businesses nationwide, from 1995-2010. This innovative study will provide knowledge essential for shaping how public health advocates' work with businesses on their tobacco policies.