Battling tobacco use at home: an analysis of smoke-free home rules among U.S. veterans from 2001 to 2011.

Abstract

We examined national trends in smoke-free home rules among U.S. veterans and nonveterans. We used data from the 2001-2002 and 2010-2011 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey to estimate and compare the existence of smoke-free home rules among veterans and nonveterans for each survey period. The prevalence of a complete smoke-free home rule among veterans increased from 64.0% to 79.7% between 2001 and 2011 (P < .01) but was consistently lower than were rates estimated for nonveterans (67.6% and 84.4%, respectively). Disparities between the 2 groups increased significantly over time (P < .05). Despite the general increase in the adoption of smoke-free home rules, veterans lag behind the rest of the U.S. population. Interventions promoting the adoption of complete smoke-free home rules are necessary to protect veterans and their families and to reduce disparities.