Banning Smoking in Public Places
Time to Clear the Air
- Mark D. Eisner, MD, MPH
- Author Affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
- Corresponding Author: Mark D. Eisner, MD, MPH, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 350 Parnassus Ave, Suite 609, San Francisco, CA 94117 (mark.eisner{at}ucsf.edu).
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
During the past 3 decades, definitive evidence has accumulated that secondhand smoke causes serious disease and shortens life span. The recent surgeon general's report on involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke concluded that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and premature death.1 Legislation that eliminates public smoking will therefore reduce the burden of chronic disease and premature mortality. The workplace, which is a major source of secondhand smoke exposure, is a particularly important target for preventive strategies.
Recent reports indicate that there are also more immediate respiratory health benefits from mandating smoke-free workplaces. In 1998, our research group2 reported that California legislation banning smoking in bars and taverns led to substantially reduced secondhand smoke exposure among bartenders. In parallel with reduced exposure, the prevalence of sensory irritation symptoms (eye, nose, and throat irritation) and respiratory symptoms (cough, wheeze, and shortness of breath) declined markedly. Pulmonary function also …
