In a research letter published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, researchers Selena Kleber, Remi Philips, and corresponding author Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, examined reports of tobacco sales, sponsorships, and policies at professional golf tournaments.
Cigars are combustible tobacco products with most of the same adverse health effects to users as cigarettes, including heart disease, many types of cancers, and diseases from secondhand smoke exposure. Cigar companies actively promote cigar use, sales, and sponsorship opportunities at golf clubs throughout the country, including at PGA-sponsored courses, and cigar use at these golf clubs is rarely discouraged or regulated, according to a new research report.
In a research letter published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, researchers Selena Kleber, Remi Philips, and corresponding author Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, examined reports of tobacco sales, sponsorships, and policies at professional golf tournaments. The researchers reported on surveys by golf professionals at 13 courses that host PGA, LPGA, and Senior tournaments in 10 states across the U.S.
“The lack of research on golf and cigar policies was very surprising, considering their close relationships and cultural traditions,” says Kleber, a health policy graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. “This article sheds important light on tobacco use policies on courses, sales, marketing, and signage.”
While all the golf professionals agreed that cigarette and cigar use can cause serious medical diseases in people using such products, the majority of the PGA-affiliated courses surveyed did not have a policy on tobacco use. Even among the courses that had a policy, none reported any enforcement mechanism, and only one course reported signage on where tobacco use was allowed. While most did not sell cigarettes at their clubs, two-thirds (69%) reported that they sold cigars, and over one-half (54%) sought cigar sponsorships for tournaments.
Though the PGA sponsors youth events throughout the country, no professionals indicated that a reason to protect youth from being exposed to secondhand smoke or tobacco use on golf courses was a reason to change their policy.
“It is shocking really to see how few tobacco use protections exist for exposure to cigarettes and cigars at many professional golf tournaments,” states Goldstein, Director of the UNC Tobacco Intervention Programs.
The authors hope that future research and advocacy might make a difference in tobacco policy at golf clubs and professional golf events. “This research should lead to public and private golf courses, especially PGA and LPGA courses that appeal to tens of millions of spectators annually, to implement policy changes that will protect the health of the next generation of golf enthusiasts,” summarizes Philips.