Does support for smoke-free outdoor spaces increase after implementation?: A case study of a Dutch research center's smoke-free campus transition

INTRODUCTION Policymakers may sometimes be reluctant to develop policies for smoke-free outdoor spaces due to concerns about public reaction. In this study, we investigated the support for a smoke-free campus before and after the campus of a Dutch research institute became smoke-free.METHODS We conducted two surveys among employees to measure the level of support for a smoke-free campus. The first survey (n=129) was conducted 3 months before and the second 13 months after the implementation of a smoke-free campus policy (n=134).RESULTS More employees supported the smoke-free campus after (82.1%) than before (64.3%) implementation (OR=2.55; 95% CI: 1.39-4.70; p=0.003). In addition, more employees (75.4%) employees believed it is important to have a smoke-free campus than was the situation before (56.6%) the implementation (OR=2.28; 95% CI: 1.31-3.97; p=0.004).CONCLUSIONS This case study adds to the knowledge that support for a smoke-free campus increases after implementation of a smoke-free policy. This may encourage other organizations or local governments to create policies for smoke-free outdoor spaces

The double-edged relationship between COVID-19 stress and smoking: Implications for smoking cessation

INTRODUCTION Although recent research shows that smokers respond differently to the COVID-19 pandemic, it offers little explanation of why some have increased their smoking, while others decreased it. In this study, we examined a possible explanation for these different responses: pandemic-related stress.METHODS We conducted an online survey among a representative sample of Dutch current smokers from 11-18 May 2020 (n=957). During that period, COVID-19 was six weeks past the (initial) peak of cases and deaths in the Netherlands. Included in the survey were measures of how the COVID-19 pandemic had changed their smoking, if at all (no change, increased smoking, decreased smoking), and a measure of stress due to COVID-19.RESULTS Overall, while 14.1% of smokers reported smoking less due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 18.9% of smokers reported smoking more. A multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that there was a dose-response effect of stress: smokers who were somewhat stressed were more likely to have either increased (OR=2.37; 95% CI: 1.49-3.78) or reduced (OR=1.80; 95% CI: 1.07-3.05) their smoking. Severely stressed smokers were even more likely to have either increased (OR=3.75; 95% CI: 1.84-7.64) or reduced (OR=3.97; 95% CI: 1.70-9.28) their smoking. Thus, stress was associated with both increased and reduced smoking, independently from perceived difficulty of quitting and level of motivation to quit.CONCLUSIONS Stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic appears to affect smokers in different ways, some smokers increase their smoking while others decrease it. While boredom and restrictions in movement might have stimulated smoking, the threat of contracting COVID-19 and becoming severely ill might have motivated others to improve their health by quitting smoking. These data highlight the importance of providing greater resources for cessation services and the importance of creating public campaigns to enhance cessation in this dramatic time

Soil biological quality after 36 years of ley-arable cropping, permanent grassland and permanent arable cropping

Insight is needed into how management influences soil biota when sustainable grassland systems are developed. A crop rotation of grass and maize can be sustainable in terms of efficient nutrient use. However, there is lack of information on the effect of such a crop rotation on soil biological quality. Earthworms, nematodes, bacteria and fungi were sampled over three years in a 36 years old experiment. Permanent arable land was compared with permanent grassland and with a ley-arable crop rotation. In the rotation, a period of three years of grassland (temporary grassland) was followed by a period of three years of arable land (temporary arable land) and vice versa. In the first year of arable cropping in the rotation, the number of earthworms was already low and not different from continuous cropping. In the three-year grass ley, the abundance of earthworms returned to the level of permanent grassland in the second year. However, the restoration of earthworm biomass took a minimum of three years. Furthermore, the anecic species did not recover the dominance they had in the permanent grassland. The numbers of herbivorous and microbivorous nematodes in the ley-crop rotation reached similar levels to those in the permanent treatments within one to two years. Although the same holds for the nematode genera composition, the Maturity Index and the proportion of omnivorous nematodes in the temporary treatments remained significantly lower than in their permanent counterparts. Differences in recovery were also found among microbial parameters. In the temporary treatments, bacterial growth rate and the capacity to degrade a suite of substrates recovered in the second year. However, the Community-Level Physiological Profiles in the permanent grassland remained different from the other treatments. Our results suggest that many functions of soil biota that are well established in permanent grassland, are restored in a ley-arable crop rotation. However, due to a reduction in certain species, specific functions of these soil biota could be reduced or lost. The ley-arable crop rotations were intermediate to permanent grassland and continuous arable land in terms of functioning of soil biota (e.g., N-mineralization). In terms of the functional aspects of the soil biota, permanent grassland might be preferable wherever possible. For maize cultivation, a ley-arable crop rotation is preferable to continuous arable land. However, a ley-arable crop rotation is only preferable to continuous arable cropping if it is not practised at the expense of permanent grassland at farm level

Soil biological quality after 36 years of ley-arable cropping, permanent grassland and permanent arable cropping

Insight is needed into how management influences soil biota when sustainable grassland systems are developed. A crop rotation of grass and maize can be sustainable in terms of efficient nutrient use. However, there is lack of information on the effect of such a crop rotation on soil biological quality. Earthworms, nematodes, bacteria and fungi were sampled over three years in a 36 years old experiment. Permanent arable land was compared with permanent grassland and with a ley-arable crop rotation. In the rotation, a period of three years of grassland (temporary grassland) was followed by a period of three years of arable land (temporary arable land) and vice versa. In the first year of arable cropping in the rotation, the number of earthworms was already low and not different from continuous cropping. In the three-year grass ley, the abundance of earthworms returned to the level of permanent grassland in the second year. However, the restoration of earthworm biomass took a minimum of three years. Furthermore, the anecic species did not recover the dominance they had in the permanent grassland. The numbers of herbivorous and microbivorous nematodes in the ley-crop rotation reached similar levels to those in the permanent treatments within one to two years. Although the same holds for the nematode genera composition, the Maturity Index and the proportion of omnivorous nematodes in the temporary treatments remained significantly lower than in their permanent counterparts. Differences in recovery were also found among microbial parameters. In the temporary treatments, bacterial growth rate and the capacity to degrade a suite of substrates recovered in the second year. However, the Community-Level Physiological Profiles in the permanent grassland remained different from the other treatments. Our results suggest that many functions of soil biota that are well established in permanent grassland, are restored in a ley-arable crop rotation. However, due to a reduction in certain species, specific functions of these soil biota could be reduced or lost. The ley-arable crop rotations were intermediate to permanent grassland and continuous arable land in terms of functioning of soil biota (e.g., N-mineralization). In terms of the functional aspects of the soil biota, permanent grassland might be preferable wherever possible. For maize cultivation, a ley-arable crop rotation is preferable to continuous arable land. However, a ley-arable crop rotation is only preferable to continuous arable cropping if it is not practised at the expense of permanent grassland at farm level

Prevalence of hardcore smoking in the Netherlands between 2001 and 2012: a test of the hardening hypothesis

Abstract Background Hardcore smokers are smokers who have smoked for many years and who do not intend to quit smoking. The “hardening hypothesis” states that light smokers are more likely to quit smoking than heavy smokers (such as hardcore smokers). Therefore, the prevalence of hardcore smoking among smokers would increase over time. If this is true, the smoking population would become harder to reach with tobacco control measures. In this study we tested the hardening hypothesis. Methods We calculated the prevalence of hardcore smoking in the Netherlands from 2001 to 2012. Smokers were ‘hardcore’ if they a) smoked every day, b) smoked on average 15 cigarettes per day or more, c) had not attempted to quit in the past 12 months, and d) had no intention to quit within 6 months. We used logistic regression models to test whether the prevalence changed over time. We also investigated whether trends differed between educational levels. Results Among smokers, the prevalence of hardcore smoking decreased from 40.8 % in 2001 to 32.2 % in 2012. In the general population, it decreased from 12.2 to 8.2 %. Hardcore smokers were significantly lower educated than non-hardcore smokers. Among the general population, the prevalence of hardcore smoking decreased more among higher educated people than among lower educated people. Conclusions We found no support for the hardening hypothesis in the Netherlands between 2001 and 2012. Instead, the decrease of hardcore smoking among smokers suggests a ‘softening’ of the smoking population

Identifying Subgroups among Hardcore Smokers: a Latent Profile Approach

Introduction Hardcore smokers are smokers who have little to no intention to quit. Previous research suggests that there are distinct subgroups among hardcore smokers and that these subgroups vary in the perceived pros and cons of smoking and quitting. Identifying these subgroups could help to develop individualized messages for the group of hardcore smokers. In this study we therefore used the perceived pros and cons of smoking and quitting to identify profiles among hardcore smokers. Methods A sample of 510 hardcore smokers completed an online survey on the perceived pros and cons of smoking and quitting. We used these perceived pros and cons in a latent profile analysis to identify possible subgroups among hardcore smokers. To validate the profiles identified among hardcore smokers, we analysed data from a sample of 338 non-hardcore smokers in a similar way. Results We found three profiles among hardcore smokers. 'Receptive' hardcore smokers (36%) perceived many cons of smoking and many pros of quitting. 'Ambivalent' hardcore smokers (59%) were rather undecided towards quitting. 'Resistant' hardcore smokers (5%) saw few cons of smoking and few pros of quitting. Among non-hardcore smokers, we found similar groups of 'receptive' smokers (30%) and 'ambivalent' smokers (54%). However, a third group consisted of 'disengaged' smokers (16%), who saw few pros and cons of both smoking and quitting. Discussion Among hardcore smokers, we found three distinct profiles based on perceived pros and cons of smoking. This indicates that hardcore smokers are not a homogenous group. Each profile might require a different tobacco control approach. Our findings may help to develop individualized tobacco control messages for the particularly hard-to-reach group of hardcore smokers. Copyright