Attitudes towards second hand smoke amongst a highly exposed workforce: survey of London casino workers.
OBJECTIVE
To examine knowledge, attitudes and experiences of London casino workers regarding exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) in the workplace.


METHODS
Postal survey of 1568 London casino workers in 25 casinos who were members of the TGWU or GMB Trade Unions.


RESULTS
Of the workers, 559 responded to the survey (36% response), 22% of whom were current smokers. Of the respondents, 71% report being nearly always exposed to heavy levels of SHS at work, and most (65%) want all working areas in their casino to be smoke-free. The majority (78%) are bothered by SHS at work, while 91% have wanted to move away from where they are working because of it. Fifty-seven per cent believe their health has suffered as a result of SHS. Of the workers who smoke at work, 59% believe that they would try to quit smoking if no one was allowed to smoke in the casino.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of responders are bothered by SHS, and many are concerned about the health impacts. Most want all working areas in their casino to be smoke-free. Despite difficulties in generalizing from this limited sample, these findings add weight to the argument that the legislation on smoking in public places in England should encompass all workplaces, without exemption.
Centre for Public Health Research, University of the West of England, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Glenside Campus, Blackberry Hill, Stapleton, Bristol BS16 1DD, UK. paul.pilkington@uwe.ac.uk
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Pilkington
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Gray
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Gilmore
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Daykin
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution