RT Journal Article
T1 Impact of the spanish smoking law on exposure to second-hand smoke and respiratory health in hospitality workers: a cohort study
A1 Fernández, Esteve
A1 Fu, Marcela
A1 Pascual, José A.
A1 López, María J.
A1 Pérez Ríos, Mónica
A1 Schiaffino, Anna
A1 Martínez Sánchez, José M.
A1 Ariza, Carles
A1 Saltó, Esteve
A1 Nebot, Manuel
K1 Spanish Smoking Law
K1 Respiratory Health
AB A smoke-free law came into effect in Spain on 1st January 2006, affecting all enclosed workplaces except hospitality venues, whose proprietors can choose among totally a smoke-free policy, a partial restriction with designated smoking areas, or no restriction on smoking on the premises. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the law among hospitality workers by assessing second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and the frequency of respiratory symptoms before and one year after the banWe formed a baseline cohort of 431 hospitality workers in Spain and 45 workers in Portugal and Andorra. Of them, 318 (66.8%) were successfully followed up 12 months after the ban, and 137 nonsmokers were included in this analysis. We obtained self-reported exposure to SHS and the presence of respiratory symptoms, and collected saliva samples for cotinine measurement. Salivary cotinine decreased by 55.6% after the ban among nonsmoker workers in venues where smoking was totally prohibited (from median of 1.6 ng/ml before to 0.5 ng/ml, p<0.01). Cotinine concentration decreased by 27.6% (p = 0.068) among workers in venues with designated smoking areas, and by 10.7% (p = 0.475) among workers in venues where smoking was allowed. In Portugal and Andorra, no differences between cotinine concentration were found before (1.2 ng/ml) and after the ban (1.2 ng/ml). In Spain, reported respiratory symptom declined significantly (by 71.9%; p<0.05) among workers in venues that became smoke-free. After adjustment for potential confounders, salivary cotinine and respiratory symptoms decreased significantly among workers in Spanish hospitality venues where smoking was totally bannedAmong nonsmoker hospitality workers in bars and restaurants where smoking was allowed, exposure to SHS after the ban remained similar to pre-law levels. The partial restrictions on smoking in Spanish hospitality venues do not sufficiently protect hospitality workers against SHS or its consequences for respiratory health
PB PLOS
YR 2009
FD 2009
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/22834
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/22834
LA eng
NO Fernández E, Fu M, Pascual JA, López MJ, Pérez-Ríos M, Schiaffino A, et al. (2009) Impact of the Spanish Smoking Law on Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke and Respiratory Health in Hospitality Workers: A Cohort Study. PLoS ONE 4(1): e4244. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0004244
NO This project was funded by the Public Health Directorates of the Departments of Health of the Regional Governments of Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia, Galicia and Valencian Community, the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS PI052072, CIBERESP CB06/02/0032, and RTICC RD06/0020/0089), and the Ministry of Universities and Research, Government of Catalonia (SGR200500646)
DS Minerva
RD 28 abr 2026