The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To examine lessons learned from the adoption of a hotline to support implementation of smoking ban

Methods: On January 10, 2005, a law was implemented in Italy banning smoking in all enclosed public spaces. Because of the complexity of the law and misconceptions about its content, the Ministry of Health established a free daytime hotline to respond to public inquiries and develop content for a related, frequently updated website. Between January 10 and February 10, 2005 information on characteristics of callers and contents of calls was entered directly into specially-designed software by the hotline staff. Data were analyzed on a daily basis.

Results: A total of 4032 calls were received: 13% during the first day and 55% during the first week. Forty-nine percent were from the general public, 26% from managers and directors of affected public and private structures, and 23% from employees. Approximately 40% asked for clarifications of the law or about types of structures covered by the law and 25% concerned wording and location for the required signage; less than 3% were complaints about the law. Conclusion: The hotline was a highly useful channel of communication that permitted provision of information on the law and how it was to be applied, but it also allowed us to obtain information that were used to update a widely-accessed website. Furthermore, it identified weaknesses in the law that require further clarification; it also identified major stakeholders. Similar hotlines may be helpful in other countries implementing major health laws