BACKGROUND The Hong Kong government has proposed legislation for smoke-free policies in all restaurants and bars. This is opposed by certain sections of the catering industry. OBJECTIVE To assess public opinion on smoke-free restaurants and to estimate changes in patronage. DESIGN A population based, cross sectional random digit dialling telephone survey conducted from November 1999 to Janu...

OBJECTIVE To examine strict smoke-free home policies among smoking parents assessed in pediatric offices. METHODS We analyzed baseline parental survey data from 10 control practices in a national trial of pediatric office-based tobacco control interventions (Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure, CEASE). We used logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to e...

Exposure to secondhand smoke from burning tobacco products causes premature death and disease, including coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer among nonsmoking adults and sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, exacerbated asthma, respiratory symptoms, and decreased lung function in children (1,2). The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that the...

Cigarette smoke contains around 4000 chemical substances including free radicals and carcinogens, which are xenobiotic agents in the body, affecting the reproductive system. Purple sweet potatoes contain the color pigment anthocyanin. The purple color pigment (anthocyanin) in purple sweet potatoes is a beneficial antioxidant because it can react with free radicals that can cause damage in the b...

STUDY OBJECTIVE Multiple studies have found that, compared with employees in other settings, workers in bars and restaurants have been exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke, putting them at increased risk for health complications. Among these bar employees are many women of low socioeconomic status (SES). Smoke free workplace ordinances have been extended to bars and restaurants in cities ...

BACKGROUND Baseline data were collected to inform the adoption, implementation and institutionalisation phases of a completely smoke free campus policy at a large Western Australian university with a diverse student and staff community. METHODS An online survey was randomly emailed to staff and students to measure the attitudes towards and the acceptability and enforcement of the policy prior...

BACKGROUND Approximately 63.7% of nonsmokers in China are exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) in their homes. The current study documents the prevalence and correlates of smoke-free home policies in Shanghai, as well as reasons for implementing such a policy and places where smoking is most commonly allowed. METHODS We conducted in-person surveys of 500 participants using a multistage proportio...

BACKGROUND Although it is legal for multiunit housing (MUH) property owners in all 50 states to prohibit smoking on their premises, including in individual units, MUH constitutes a relatively new setting to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke via voluntary smoke-free policy. This paper examines California state-funded smoke-free MUH policy campaigns between 2004 and 2010. METHODS A cross-case...

BACKGROUND We examined reasons for establishing smoke-free home policies, interpersonal processes by which they are established, and challenges in enforcing them in Shanghai, China. METHODS In 2013, we conducted 30 in-person semi-structured interviews among 13 male smokers and 17 female nonsmokers recruited from urban and a suburban communities in Shanghai. RESULTS Reasons for adopting a sm...

BACKGROUND With the goal of reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, the state of Minnesota (MN), enacted a smoke-free law (i.e., Freedom to Breathe Act) in all workplaces, restaurants, and bars in 2007. This retrospective cohort study analyzes emergency department (ED) visits in Olmsted County, MN, for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma over a five-year period to assess chan...