title: Implementing the ban on smoking in Israeli pubs: measuring airborne nicotine and enforcement by local authorities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2007 an amendment to the law restricting smoking in pubs and bars (P&Bs) was enacted in Israel. However, a year after the ban only slight decreases in airborne smoke in P&Bs in one city have been reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to assess levels of airborne nicotine in Israeli P&Bs and to measure ifself-reported enforcement of the law by local officials was associated with levels of airborne nicotine in P&Bs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Airborne nicotine levels were measured in 72 P&Bs in 29 towns in Israel; this consisted of 90% of eligible towns. In addition, 73 local authority officials were interviewed in 25 of these towns. The officials were asked to assess the local authority's level of enforcement of the law banning smoking in P&Bs. The association of levels of airborne nicotine with the levels of enforcement of the law was calculated. Data were collected during 2009-2010 and analyzed in 2010-2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of airborne nicotine were comparatively high in P&Bs. No association was detected between levels of nicotine and the P&Bs' characteristics. In the larger towns, levels of airborne nicotine were higher. In 16% of towns the local authority officials reported high levels of law enforcement. Generally, levels of reported enforcement by local authorities were low and did not predict levels of airborne nicotine in the P&Bs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-reported local authorities' law enforcement was not associated with levels of airborne nicotine in P&Bs in these towns. There is a need to develop ways to increase law enforcement by the local authorities or other agencies.
authors.affiliation: 1. The School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Carmit
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Satran
authors.affiliation: 2. The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drach-Zahavy
authors.affiliation: 3. Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
authors.forename: S Katharine
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.affiliation: 1. The School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baron-Epel
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis*; D012147:Restaurants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: airborne nicotine; law enforcement; local authorities; pubs and bars; second-hand smoke