Decline in respiratory symptoms in service workers five months after a public smoking ban.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of a total ban on smoking indoors in restaurants and other hospitality business premises in Norway, on respiratory symptoms among workers in the industry.


METHODS
Phone interviews with 1525 employees in the hospitality business were conducted immediately before the enacting of the law. In a follow-up study five months later, 906 of the workers from the baseline sample participated. Questions were asked on demographic variables, passive smoking exposure, personal smoking, attitudes towards the law, and five respiratory symptoms. Change in symptom prevalence was analysed with McNemar's test and with analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures.


RESULTS
The prevalence of all five symptoms declined after the ban; for morning cough from 20.6% to 16.2% (p < 0.01); for daytime cough from 23.2% to 20.9%; for phlegm cough from 15.3% to 11.8% (p < 0.05); for dyspnoea from 19.2% to 13.0% (p < 0.01); and for wheezing from 9.0% to 7.8%. ANOVA showed that the largest decline in symptom prevalence was seen among workers who themselves gave up smoking, and subjects with a positive attitude towards the law before it took effect.


CONCLUSIONS
A significant decrease in respiratory symptoms among service industry workers was found five months after the enacting of a public smoking ban.
Eagan
T M L
TM
Department of Internal Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. tomas.eagan@med.uib.no
Hetland
J
J
Aarø
L E
LE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012147:Restaurants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution