Cambios en las expectativas y las actitudes de los trabajadores de la hostelería después de la ley de medidas sanitarias frente al tabaquismo

objective: to assess changes in hospitality workers' expectations and attitudes towards the spanish smoking law before and 2 years after the smoking ban. methods: we performed a longitudinal study of a cohort (n=431) of hospitality workers in five regions in spain before the law came into effect and 24 months later. expectations and attitudes towards the ban and knowledge about the effect of second-hand smoke on health were compared before and after the ban. results: we recruited 431 hospitality workers in the baseline survey and 219 were followed-up 24 months later (overall follow-up rate of 50.8%). the percentage of hospitality workers who knew the law was 79.0% before it was passed and was 94.1% 24 months later (p<0.05). we observed an increase in support to the smoke-free ban in all public places, including bars and restaurants (54.1% to 65.8%; p<0.05). the percentages of support for the current ban, perception of compliance with the ban by employees and customers, and knowledge of the effect of second-hand smoke on health also increased. conclusions: knowledge and support to the spanish smoking law among hospitality workers increased 2 years after the implementation of the ban.