OBJECTIVES (a) to examine exposure to ETS in 5 European countries that differ in their tobacco control (TC) activity, (b) to examine attitudes towards TC measures and (c) to relate these results to sociodemographic and smoking related variables. METHODS population-based, representative sample of n = 3,500 participants age 16-59, in Germany, Greece, Poland, Sweden, UK. RESULTS most never smo...

BACKGROUND Pregnant women are exposed to tobacco smoke through active smoking and contact with secondhand smoke (SHS), and these exposures have a significant impact on public health. We investigated the factors that mediate active smoking, successful quitting, and SHS exposure among pregnant women in Crete, Greece. METHODS Using a cotinine-validated questionnaire, data were collected on activ...

This is a comprehensive review about the role of direct and second hand cigarette smoke exposure in the development of childhood asthma. Smoking, both during pregnancy and postnatal have an adverse impact on the infant's chances of developing respiratory illness. Second hand smoke exposure has also known to cause worsening of childhood asthma with an impact on hospital admissions. Correlation b...

A comparison of sales tax and employment data from before and after the new statewide secondhand smoke laws took effect on March 1, 2006, finds that both revenue and employment levels have increased for Oklahoma restaurants since imposition of the new rules. Furthermore, comparing revenue and employment levels across states, with Kansas, and controlling for changes in overall economic activity,...

Active cigarette smoking has long been known to predispose to atherosclerotic vascular disease, but recently passive smoking has been identified as an important risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, accounting for up to 20 000 deaths per year in non-smokers in the United States alone' 1 '. Cigarette smoking has deleterious effects on haemodynamics, myocardial perfusion and res...

esults: A 62.0% and 70.4% ban was found, respectively, on smoking in homes and cars. Multivariate analysis revealed that region, marital status, number of friends who smoked, beliefs about environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and smoking status predicted home smoking bans, while age, number of children in household, number of friends who smoked, and beliefs about ETS and smoking status predicted ...

One study after another is finding strong associations between a variety of human illness and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). A 1986 report by the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that ETS is a cause of disease, including lung cancer, in healthy nonsmokers. Other reports have documented causal associations between ETS and lower respiratory tract infections, middle ear disease and e...

In 1996-97, nearly 1.6 million Canadian children under the age of 12 were regularly exposed to cigarette smoke at home. This amounts to one third of all children in this age group (Table 1). Not surprisingly, children’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is very strongly influenced by the presence of a household member who smokes daily: 85% of young children who live with a daily smo...

BACKGROUND Second hand smoke (SHS) exposure is a severe public health problem, especially in low and middle countries, but no studies have examined both individual and city-level variables influencing exposure. METHODS A cross-sectional multistage sampling design was used to survey subjects from 21 cities in China. Using a standardized questionnaire individual level information was collected....

OBJECTIVES To evaluate serum hyaluronate concentrations relative to air pollution, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and respiratory health in Japanese school children. METHODS Respiratory symptoms and serum IgE concentrations were examined in 1037 school children living in four communities in Japan with differing levels of air pollution. Serum hyaluronate concentrations were assayed in 230 ...