Nicotine Levels In Smokers' Cars Almost Twice Those Of Bars/restaurants

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 25 Aug 2009 - 14:00 PDT

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Levels of nicotine are much higher in smokers' cars than levels found in public or private indoor places and in restaurants/bars that allow smoking, suggests research published ahead of print in Tobacco Control.

In the US alone, involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke accounts for thousands of cases of respiratory, cardiovascular, and cancer deaths every year.

To address this, many countries have introduced smoke free regulations or legislation, but most do not apply to people who choose to smoke in their cars - an environment that is increasingly being shared as a result of more car pooling between friends and work colleagues.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, USA, studied 17 smokers and five non-smokers who commuted to and from work for 30 minutes or longer.

Two passive airborne nicotine samplers were placed in the cars - one at the front passenger seat headrest and one in the back seat behind the driver - for a 24 hour period.

Using gas chromatography, the researchers analysed the 44 samplers gathered and found there was a twofold (1.96) increase in air nicotine concentrations per cigarette smoked.

Air nicotine concentrations in smokers' motor vehicles were "strikingly higher" than non-detectable concentrations found in non-smokers' cars.

The researchers estimated that nicotine concentrations were twice as strong in smokers' cars as levels measured by other studies in public/private places, and 40% to 50% higher than those in restaurants/bars that permit smoking.

Factors such as size of vehicle and use of ventilation made a difference to the results, although opening the windows did not eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.

Participants in the study were also asked to complete a questionnaire that included questions on their knowledge and attitudes regarding health risks of secondhand smoking and relevant regulations/legislation.

All of the study's participants - smokers and non-smokers - agreed that smoking in the car posed a health risk to passengers.

Of the smokers, 53% said that being unable to smoke in the car would help them to quit smoking altogether and 93% of smokers agreed that motor vehicles should be smoke-free on a voluntary basis. Only 7% of smokers said vehicles should be smoke-free by regulation.

The researchers conclude: "The high air nicotine concentrations measured in motor vehicles in this study support the urgent need for smoke-free education campaigns and legislative measures banning smoking in motor vehicles when passengers, especially children, are present."

Citation:
"Secondhand tobacco smoke concentrations in motor vehicles: a pilot study."
Tobacco Control 2009; doi 10.1136/tc.2009.029942

Source
Tobacco Control

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