Circumventing tobacco control and safety policies to promote waterpipe use in smoking venues: the perspective of staff in waterpipe smoking venues

ObjectiveTo understand Hong Kong waterpipe smoking (WPS) sales and promotion, including strategies to avoid policy enforcement, from the perspective of WPS venue staff.MethodsQualitative interviews and observations were guided by interpretive description. 20 WPS venue staff who were responsible for preparing and serving waterpipes to patrons and had worked at the bar for at least 3 months were recruited. In-depth semistructured interviews with WPS venue staff were conducted, in addition to covert and participant observations in 10 WPS venues in Hong Kong. Interpretive description involving constant comparative analysis of qualitative data was adopted to facilitate an inductive analytic approach to generate findings.ResultsTwo primary themes emerged from analyses of interview and observation data: strategies to avoid law enforcement, and perceived health and safety concerns linked to working and smoking in waterpipe venues. The findings suggest that many Hong Kong venues may be failing to comply with tobacco control policies and developing strategies to circumvent law enforcement. Moreover, waterpipe preparation, allowance of WPS and burning of charcoal in indoor areas were perceived as negatively affecting the health and safety of staff and customers.ConclusionsThe study provides preliminary evidence indicating the ineffectiveness of current tobacco control policy on WPS. Due to its risks to health and safety, and the need to sustain tobacco control efforts for their intended purpose, waterpipe-specific regulations and stricter surveillance on waterpipe sales and promotion are urgently required.

Consumer Perspectives of a Multi-Venue Gambling Self-Exclusion Program: A Qualitative Process Analysis

Self-exclusion is an important harm minimization strategy implemented by gambling operators to restrict a problem gambler’s access to gambling opportunities. Aspects of self-exclusion, including low uptake and non-compliance, limit the effectiveness of programs. Research that considers the consumer perspective is needed to enhance the perceived utility of self-exclusion in the target audience. Twenty interviews were conducted with current (n = 13) and former (n = 7) participants of a multi-venue self-exclusion program for land-based gaming machine venues in New South Wales, Australia. Participants were asked open-ended questions about their experiences and opinions of the program, including its strengths and weaknesses, and suggested improvements for future consumers. Overall, participants found self-exclusion beneficial. However, several shortcomings of the program were expressed, including lack of available public information and overly complicated registration processes. Participants lacked confidence in venues’ willingness and ability to identify non-compliant gamblers and highlighted the need for vastly improved detection systems. The quality of interactions with venue staff in relation to self-exclusion were mixed; counsellor support, however, was perceived as important from beginning to end of a self-exclusion period. Results suggest that gambling operators should increase marketing efforts to promote the availability and benefits of self-exclusion. Investigation of strategies to streamline registration processes and to augment detection systems with new technologies was supported. Venue staff may benefit from training in appropriate self-exclusion facilitation procedures. Gambling operators should aim to foster strong links between self-exclusion programs and professional gambling counselling services.Résumé L’auto-exclusion est une importante stratégie de minimisation des méfaits mise en œuvre par les exploitants de jeux d’argent afin de limiter l’accès des joueurs pathologiques aux occasions de jeu. Certains aspects de l’auto-exclusion, notamment la faible participation et la non-conformité, limitent toutefois l’efficacité des programmes. Des recherches tenant compte de la perspective du joueur sont nécessaires pour renforcer l’utilité perçue de l’auto-exclusion auprès du public cible. Vingt entretiens ont été menés auprès de participants actuels (n = 13) et anciens (n = 7) d’un programme d’auto-exclusion multi-sites pour les salles de jeux de hasard en Nouvelle-Galles-du-Sud, en Australie. On a posé aux participants des questions ouvertes sur leurs expériences et leurs opinions sur le programme, y compris ses forces et ses faiblesses, et sur des améliorations à apporter pour les futurs participants. Dans l’ensemble, les participants ont trouvé le programme d’auto-exclusion bénéfique. Toutefois, plusieurs lacunes du programme ont été signalées, notamment le manque d’informations disponibles dans le public et des processus d’inscription excessivement compliqués. Les participants manquaient de confiance en la volonté et la capacité des propriétaires de sites d’identifier les joueurs non conformes, et ils ont souligné la nécessité d’améliorer considérablement les systèmes de détection. La qualité des interactions avec le personnel des lieux concernant l’auto-exclusion était mitigée; le soutien des conseillers a toutefois été perçu comme important du début à la fin de la période d’auto-exclusion. Les résultats laissent croire que les exploitants de jeux d’argent devraient intensifier leurs efforts de publicité pour promouvoir la disponibilité et les avantages de programmes d’auto-exclusion. La recherche de stratégies visant à rationaliser les processus d’inscription et à améliorer les systèmes de détection par de nouvelles technologies a été encouragée. Les membres du personnel des sites peuvent bénéficier d’une formation sur les procédures appropriées de facilitation pour l’auto-exclusion. Les exploitants de jeux devraient s’efforcer d’établir des liens étroits entre les programmes d’auto-exclusion et les services de conseillers professionnels en matière de jeu.

Social investment image projection

The achievement of a sports result requires infrastructure and capital to build, as well as maintenance. The sporting event and performance grow into the image (enriched sports product) when the capacity of the venues provide economically sustainable concept. The survey shows that: 1 / visitors’ perception and the tradition affect attendance; 2 / marketing–management is projecting such sports-service processes that attract audiences, sponsors and the media, and through its image become attractive to the venue staff, and the society as a whole. The aim is to highlight the importance of valorisation of infrastructure in which valuable sporting results are achieved, and justify their mission too. Key projecting points are: 1 / commercialization of sports facilities due to new socio-economic impacts; 2 / keeping abreast of global trends in the venues’ construction and operation by introducing best practices; 3 / the physical elements as determinants of the image (design, etc.); 4 / the image significance for financing and business; 5 / projection strategies for facilities’ design. Projection and maintenance of the attractive image affects the audience's response, increasing the revenue needed for its functioning and modernization through the naming rights, ultimately ensuring continuity of attendance. The image of a social investment determines its further exploitation, so it is projected with special attention.

How gaming venue staff use behavioural indicators to assess problem gambling in patrons

Staff in gaming venues are increasingly expected to identify people with possible gambling problems based on observable behaviour. We report on interviews with 48 venue staff in Queensland, Australia with the goal of assessing whether they feel they can detect patrons with possible gambling problems, and what indicators they use to assess this and to decide whether to intervene. Results showed wide variation in the indicators used by these staff members with only one indicator, aggressive behaviour, reported by the majority. Most contemplated intervening only if patron behaviour is seen as a threat to themselves or others. Venue staff would benefit from clearer direction on indicators of problem gambling behaviour and when to intervene.

Success Factors for Public Access Computing

Throughout this book, we have detailed the profile of a public access venue user, discussed the role of venue staff in public access venues, identified the critical role that trust plays in use of public access venues, and demonstrated some barriers to use of venues, as well as explored how gender is situated in the ICT world. In this chapter, we will explore and seek to answer the question: what are the common factors that contribute to the success of public access ICT centers, especially in underserved communities?

“Free” Service or “Good” Service

To help frame their findings and discussion, the authors begin with a review of the existing published literature on user fees and other barriers to use of public access venues. At the heart of this chapter lies the findings and discussion section where they offer an analysis on how influential user fees, content availability, and venue staff are in determining ICT use in public access venues. Through this analysis, they seek to have a clearer picture of what users view as incentives and barriers to their use of ICT in public access venues. To conclude, they propose recommendations for public access venues as they move forward and seek sustainability.

Risky business: Gambling problems amongst gaming venue employees in Queensland, Australia

This study examines gambling and problem gambling among gaming venue staff and provides a quantitative analysis that is directly comparable to the general population. A sample of 511 staff from casinos, hotels, and clubs in Queensland, Australia completed a questionnaire. Results indicate that employees exceed the average for gambling participation, regular gambling, and usual gambling duration for every type of gambling for which comparisons could be made. Problem gambling rates amongst staff were 9.6 times higher than for the Queensland population. Problem and moderate-risk gamblers were typically males who worked around gambling facilities and assisted patrons with gambling. A substantial proportion of problem and moderate-risk gamblers report increasing their gambling since commencing work. These results are of interest, given the importance of understanding how exposure interacts with gambling behaviour, of debates about the nature of this interaction, and of industry-based responsible gambling policies that particularly focus on gaming venue employees.