Author/Authors :
Abuelaish, I. University of Toronto - Dalla Lana School of Public Health - Global Health Division, Canada , Seidenberg, A.B. Harvard School of Public Health - Center for Global Tobacco Control - Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, USA , Kennedy, R.D. Harvard School of Public Health - Center for Global Tobacco Control - Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, USA , Kennedy, R.D. University of Waterloo - Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, Canada , Rees, V.W. Harvard School of Public Health - Center for Global Tobacco Control - Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, USA
Abstract :
Second-hand smoke is a major cause of preventable disease and death in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. To assess how second-hand smoke impacts air quality, respirable suspended particles (PM2.5), which are emitted during cigarette and waterpipe smoking, were measured inside and outside of 18 smoking and 5 nonsmoking public venues in Gaza city. Median PM2.5 level inside the smoking venues was 117 μg/m³, which exceeds the WHO guidelines for daily PM2.5 exposure (25 μg/m³) by more than 4-fold. The median level inside the smoking venues (117 μg/m³) was significantly higher than outside the venues (43 μg/m³), and significantly higher than the median level inside non-smoking venues (40 μg/m³). By contrast, particulate levels outside non-smoking venues (35 μg/m³) did not differ from the corresponding levels inside (40 μg/m³). To protect employees and the public from second-hand smoke exposure, policies prohibiting smoking in public places are needed in Gaza city.
