Survey of Smoke-free Policies at Football Stadia in Europe – Healthy Stadia (2014)

Survey of Smoke-free Policies at Football Stadia in Europe – Healthy Stadia (2014)

This study set out to establish the extent and nature of smoke-free policies operating at football stadia within Europe.

The study was primarily interested in capturing information on football clubs playing in top tier football leagues within UEFA’s 54 member association countries, and is based upon findings from the 2013/14 season.

The study has been undertaken by the European Healthy Stadia Network, and was funded by the World Heart Federation as part of its partnership with UEFA’s Football and Social Responsibility Portfolio. Inspired by work undertaken by governing bodies of football such as UEFA and FIFA in establishing smoke-free stadia at key tournaments, the study assumed a starting point of WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) as the key policy driver for developing smoke-free environments.

The primary purpose of the study was to ascertain the number of countries within the European umbrella of football nations which had adopted a smoke-free policy prohibiting the use of lit tobacco products within the internal aspects of their clubs’ stadia. Further consideration was given to whether the smoke-free policies were aligned to national smoke-free legislation, or whether the football association or league had adopted its own policy in lieu of national legislation