OBJECTIVES: To compare exposure to secondhand smoke and respiratory health in bar staff in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland before and after the introduction of legislation for smoke-free workplaces in the Republic. DESIGN: Comparisons before and after the legislation in intervention and control regions. SETTING: Public houses in three areas in the Republic (intervention) and one area in Northern Ireland (control). PARTICIPANTS: 329 bar staff enrolled in baseline survey; 249 (76%) followed up one year later. Of these, 158 were non-smokers both at baseline and follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Salivary cotinine concentration, self reported exposure to secondhand smoke, and respiratory and sensory irritation symptoms. RESULTS: In bar staff in the Republic who did not themselves smoke, salivary cotinine concentrations dropped by 80% after the smoke-free law (from median 29.0 nmol/l (95% confidence interval 18.2 to 43.2 nmol/l)) to 5.1 nmol/l (2.8 to 13.1 nmol/l) in contrast with a 20% decline in Northern Ireland over the same period (from median 25.3 nmol/l (10.4 to 59.2 nmol/l) to 20.4 nmol/l (13.2 to 33.8 nmol/l)). Changes in self reported exposure to secondhand smoke were consistent with the changes in cotinine concentrations. Reporting any respiratory symptom declined significantly in the Republic (down 16.7%, -26.1% to -7.3%) but not in Northern Ireland (0% difference, -32.7% to 32.7%). After adjustment for confounding, respiratory symptoms declined significantly more in the Republic than in Northern Ireland and the decline in cotinine concentration was twice as great. CONCLUSION: The smoke-free law in the Republic of Ireland protects non-smoking bar workers from exposure to secondhand smoke.
OBJECTIVES: To compare exposure to secondhand smoke and respiratory health in bar staff in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland before and after the introduction of legislation for smoke-free workplaces in the Republic. DESIGN: Comparisons before and after the legislation in intervention and control regions. SETTING: Public houses in three areas in the Republic (intervention) and one area in Northern Ireland (control). PARTICIPANTS: 329 bar staff enrolled in baseline survey; 249 (76%) followed up one year later. Of these, 158 were non-smokers both at baseline and follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Salivary cotinine concentration, self reported exposure to secondhand smoke, and respiratory and sensory irritation symptoms. RESULTS: In bar staff in the Republic who did not themselves smoke, salivary cotinine concentrations dropped by 80% after the smoke-free law (from median 29.0 nmol/l (95% confidence interval 18.2 to 43.2 nmol/l)) to 5.1 nmol/l (2.8 to 13.1 nmol/l) in contrast with a 20% decline in Northern Ireland over the same period (from median 25.3 nmol/l (10.4 to 59.2 nmol/l) to 20.4 nmol/l (13.2 to 33.8 nmol/l)). Changes in self reported exposure to secondhand smoke were consistent with the changes in cotinine concentrations. Reporting any respiratory symptom declined significantly in the Republic (down 16.7%, -26.1% to -7.3%) but not in Northern Ireland (0% difference, -32.7% to 32.7%). After adjustment for confounding, respiratory symptoms declined significantly more in the Republic than in Northern Ireland and the decline in cotinine concentration was twice as great. CONCLUSION: The smoke-free law in the Republic of Ireland protects non-smoking bar workers from exposure to secondhand smoke.
Authors: G T Fong; A Hyland; R Borland; D Hammond; G Hastings; A McNeill; S Anderson; K M Cummings; S Allwright; M Mulcahy; F Howell; L Clancy; M E Thompson; G Connolly; P Driezen Journal: Tob Control Date: 2006-06 Impact factor: 7.552
Authors: Bernie J Mullally; Birgit A Greiner; Shane Allwright; Gillian Paul; Ivan J Perry Journal: Eur J Public Health Date: 2009-04 Impact factor: 3.367
Authors: Andrew Hyland; Louise M Hassan; Cheryl Higbee; Christian Boudreau; Geoffrey T Fong; Ron Borland; K Michael Cummings; Mi Yan; Mary E Thompson; Gerard Hastings Journal: Eur J Public Health Date: 2009-01-16 Impact factor: 3.367
Authors: Joni A Jensen; Barbara A Schillo; Molly M Moilanen; Bruce R Lindgren; Sharon Murphy; Steven Carmella; Stephen S Hecht; Dorothy K Hatsukami Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2010-03-30 Impact factor: 4.254