Impact of the Spanish Smoking Law on Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Offices and Hospitality Venues: Before-and-After Study
Por:
Nebot, M, Lopez, MJ, Ariza, C, Perez-Rios, M, Fu, M, Schiaffino, A, Munoz, G, Salto, E, Fernandez, E
Publicada:
1 mar 2009
Resumen:
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A smoking law was passed by the Spanish Parliament in December 2005 and was enforced by 1 January 2006. The law bans smoking in all indoor workplaces but only in some hospitality venues, because owners are allowed to establish a smoking zone (venues > 100 1132) or to allow smoking without restrictions (venues < 100 m(2)). The objective of the study is to assess the impact of the Spanish smoking law on exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in enclosed workplaces, including hospitality venues.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study design is a before-and-after evaluation. We studied workplaces and hospitality venues from eight different regions of Spain. We took repeated samples of vapor-phase nicotine concentration in 398 premises, including private offices (162), public administration offices (90), university premises (43), bars and restaurants (79), and discotheques and pubs (24).
RESULTS: In the follow-up period, SHS levels were markedly reduced in indoor offices. The median decrease in nicotine concentration ranged from 60.0% in public premises to 97.4% in private areas. Nicotine concentrations were also markedly reduced in bars and restaurants that became smoke-free (96.7%) and in the no-smoking zones of venues with separate spaces for smokers (88.9%). We found no significant changes in smoking zones or in premises allowing smoking, including discotheques and pubs.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study shows the positive impact of the law on reducing SHS in indoor workplaces. However, SHS was substantially reduced only in bars and restaurants that became smoke-free. Most hospitality workers continue to be exposed to very high levels of SHS. Therefore, a 100% smoke-free policy for all hospitality venues is required.
Filiaciones:
Nebot, M:
Publ Hlth Agcy, Barcelona, Spain
Univ Pompeu Fabra, Dept Expt & Hlth Sci, Barcelona, Spain
Lopez, MJ:
Publ Hlth Agcy, Barcelona, Spain
Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Programme Publ Hlth & Methodol Biomed Res, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain
Ariza, C:
Publ Hlth Agcy, Barcelona, Spain
Perez-Rios, M:
Dept Prevent Med, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
Dept Hlth, Santiago De Compostela, Spain
Fu, M:
Univ Pompeu Fabra, Dept Expt & Hlth Sci, Barcelona, Spain
Catalan Inst Oncol, Lhospitalet De Llobregat, Spain
Inst Biomed Res Bellvitge, Lhospitalet De Llobregat, Spain
Schiaffino, A:
City Council Terrassa, Municipal Hlth Inst, Terrassa, Spain
Munoz, G:
Publ Hlth Agcy, Barcelona, Spain
Salto, E:
Dept Hlth, Barcelona, Spain
Fernandez, E:
Univ Pompeu Fabra, Dept Expt & Hlth Sci, Barcelona, Spain
Catalan Inst Oncol, Lhospitalet De Llobregat, Spain
Inst Biomed Res Bellvitge, Lhospitalet De Llobregat, Spain
Gold, Green Published
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