Particle Exposure Hazards of Visiting Outdoor Smoking Areas for Patients with Asthma or COPD Even in EU Countries with Comprehensive Smokefree Laws

Sheila Keogan, Tamara Alonso, Salome Sunday, Joan Hanafin, Olena Tigova, Esteve Fernandez, Maria Jose Lopez, Silvano Gallus, Sean Semple, Anna Tzortzi, Roberto Boffi, Giuseppe Gorini, Angel Lopez-Nicolas, D. K. Arvind, Cornel Radu-Loghin, Joan B. Soriano and Luke Clancy ()
Additional contact information
Sheila Keogan: TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI), D02 HW71 Dublin, Ireland
Tamara Alonso: Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Salome Sunday: TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI), D02 HW71 Dublin, Ireland
Joan Hanafin: TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI), D02 HW71 Dublin, Ireland
Olena Tigova: CIBER Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Esteve Fernandez: CIBER Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Maria Jose Lopez: Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB), 08023 Barcelona, Spain
Silvano Gallus: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS (IRFMN), 20156 Milano, Italy
Sean Semple: Institute for Social Marketing and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling (UNISTIR), Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Anna Tzortzi: Institute of Public Health, The American College of Greece, GR-153 42 Athens, Greece
Roberto Boffi: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (INT), 20133 Milan, Italy
Giuseppe Gorini: Istituto per lo Studio, la Prevenzione, e la Rete Oncologica (ISPRO), 50139 Firenze, Italy
Angel Lopez-Nicolas: Department of Economics, Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT), 30202 Cartagena, Spain
D. K. Arvind: School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UK
Cornel Radu-Loghin: European Network on Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Joan B. Soriano: Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Luke Clancy: TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI), D02 HW71 Dublin, Ireland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 11, 1-14

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.

Keywords: smokefree laws; COPD; asthma; particle exposure; sensors; outside areas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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