KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF TAXI DRIVERS ON THE NEW LEGISLATION FOR SMOKE-FREE TAXIS: AN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE

Objective: Taxi drivers carry significant risks related to occupational health and safety. Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke is known to be one of those health risks. As legislations for smoke-free taxis become more widespread throughout the world, this study aimed to assess knowledge and attitude of taxi drivers on the new legislation for tobacco control introduced in Turkey recently. Methodology: The study population consisted of 135 taxi drivers from 22 different taxi stations in Ankara Turkey. Data of the descriptive study was collected in October, 2008 through face-to-face interviews with a standart questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, whereas chi-square was used to compare groups. Results: All the study participants were male with a mean age of 47.2±11.8 years. More than half of the taxi drivers (59.3%) were found to be current smokers. Although level of knowledge and attitude of taxi drivers on the new legislation were favorable in general, some difficulties and barriers were found to be present in implementation of the ban. Most of the smoking drivers were found to continue smoking in their taxis. About 80.0% of the drivers stated their concern of losing out on clients’ satisfaction if they restrict smoking in their taxis. Conclusion: Taxi drivers and clients’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors are important determinants in successful implementation of legislations for smoke-free taxis.