Particle Exposure Hazards of Visiting Outdoor Smoking Areas for Patients with Asthma or COPD Even in EU Countries with Comprehensive Smokefree Laws
Keogan, Sheila (TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI))
Alonso Pérez, Tamara (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias)
Sunday, Salome (TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI))
Hanafin, Joan (TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI))
Tigova, Olena (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge)
Fernández, Esteve (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge)
López Medina, María José (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Gallus, Silvano (IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini (Gènova, Itàlia))
Semple, Sean (University of Stirling (UNISTIR))
Tzortzi, Anna S (The American College of Greece)
Boffi, Roberto (Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori)
Gorini, Giuseppe (Istituto per lo Studio, la Prevenzione, e la Rete Oncologica (ISPRO))
López-Nicolás, Ángel (Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena)
Arvind, D. K. (University of Edinburgh)
Radu-Loghin, Cornel (European Network on Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP))
Soriano, Joan B.. (Hospital Universitario de la Princesa (Madrid))
Clancy, Luke (TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI))
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2023
Abstract:	Smokefree laws are intended to protect against second-hand smoke (SHS) in outdoor areas. We examined if exposure to PM2. 5 particles in outdoor smoking areas changed breathing rates in 60 patients with asthma (n = 30) or with COPD (n = 30), in an open, non-randomised, interventional study model in Czechia, Ireland and Spain. The patients wore a PM2. 5 particle monitor (AirSpeck) and a breath monitor (RESpeck) for 24 h to determine changes in breathing rates (Br) at rest and during a visit to an outside smoking area. Spirometry and breath CO were measured before and the day after visiting an outdoor smoking area. The PM2. 5 levels at the 60 venues were highly variable, ranging from ≥2000 µg/m 3 (in 4 premises) to ≤10 µg/m 3 (in 3 premises, which had only a single wall in the structure). At 39 venues, the mean PM 2. 5 levels were ≥25 µg/m 3. The breathing rate changed significantly in 57 of the 60 patients, resulting in an increase in some patients and a decrease in others. Comprehensive smokefree laws were ineffective in protecting asthma and COPD patients from exposure to high levels of SHS in outside areas of pubs and terraces, which should be avoided by these patients. These findings also support the extension of smokefree laws to outside areas.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Asthma ; COPD ; Outside areas ; Particle exposure ; Sensors ; Smokefree laws
Published in:	International journal of environmental research and public health, Vol. 20 (may 2023) , ISSN 1660-4601

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20115978
PMID: 37297582

14 p, 746.6 KB

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