Study of implementation level of tobacco restriction policy in cafes and restaurants of Georgia.

Before year 2008 smoking was partially restricted in cafes and restaurants of Georgia. In 2009 Georgian Parliament adopted amendment in law "Concerning Tobacco Control" and strengthened partial restriction in cafes and restaurants, namely required that 50% of territory of those facilities must be smoke free. To observe status of implementation of tobacco control legislation in field of prohibition/restriction of smoking in cafes and restaurants conducted observation of those facilities and in-depth interviews of their owners/staff. Observation in cafes and restaurants were done in big regional centers of Georgia, namely in Tbilisi (Capital), Telavi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Rustavi, Gori, Akhaltsikhe and Zugdidi. At all 176 cafés/restaurants were observed (22,4% of all registered cafes/restaurants in Georgia). For qualitative part of the study 1-2 persons from staff of the cafe or restaurant or its owner available during the observation was interviewed. Field work was done during 2011-2012. It must be mentioned that during this period was not observed any important change in legislation and/or enforcement of smoking ban/restrictions in those facilities. Study instrument were guide for observer that contained two parts - observational and open-ended questions for owners and staff. Observation of cafes/restaurants in Georgia shows that 89,8% of them violate existing restriction on smoking. All restaurants and 85% of cafes violate the law. Only 18 (10,2%) cafes are in compliance with the legislation and all of them have total ban. Despite to the fact that more than 50% of observed cafes/restaurants were located in Tbilisi, absolute majority (88,1%) of smoke free facilities are in regions (mainly in Kutaisi, Zugdidi and Gori). Qualitative study of owners/staff of the facilities found factors that probably are influential in determination of smoking status of cafes/restaurants. Namely, decisions on those kinds of issues are made by owners according to business interest and private attitude. Because of absence of enforcement activities requirement of tobacco control legislation is not taken into consideration. Existing partial restriction doesn't have support from great majority of cafes/restaurants, because it is difficult to implement. At the same time part of owners/staff don't support any type of ban or restriction, because of their fear to loose smoker clients. At that qualitative study and observation shows that this opinion is assumption and not on practice or evidence based argument. Despite to this assumption, total ban on smoking in cafes and restaurants is understood as "coming legislation" and main requirement to this possible development is to provide "ban for all" and information of general public.