Assertive communication about others’ smoking and vaping in public venues: Results from a National Survey of US adults

Introduction: This study describes prevalence and correlates of US adults’ intentions to engage in assertive communication (i.e., speak up) about others’ smoking and vaping in public venues. Methods: Participants from a nationally representative online survey of 1551 US adults conducted October–December 2013 reported intentions to ask others not to smoke/vape in three types of public venues (restaurants, bars/casinos/nightclubs, and parks). We examined weighted prevalence of intentions and conducted weighted logistic regression. Results: Fifty-two percent of participants reported being likely to ask someone not to smoke in at least one venue compared with 19% for vaping. Assertive communication intentions for smoking in restaurants (48%), bars/casinos/nightclubs (35%), and parks (32%) were higher than for vaping (16%, 14%, and 12%, respectively). Significant correlates of assertive communication intentions in one or more venues were current smoking status, ever trying e-cigarettes, gender, age, health status, political ideology, and party identification. Conclusions: US adults were more willing to ask others not to smoke than vape. Intentions to speak up about smoking and vaping differed by venue, demographics, and cigarette/e-cigarette use. These findings help establish an evidence base to inform policymakers in developing strategies to promote compliance with smoke-free and vape-free laws.