Smoke-Free Rules and Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Vehicles among US Adults-National Adult Tobacco Survey, 2009-2010 and 2013-2014

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Judy Kruger, Emory University; Amal Jama, DB Consulting Group; Michelle Kegler, Emory University; Carissa Baker Holmes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sean Hu, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Brian King, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-11-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13111048
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• ISSN: 1660-4601
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 11
• Grant/Funding Information: Funding for Michelle Kegler’s contribution to this work was provided by the National Cancer Institute under the State and Community Tobacco Control Initiative, Grant Number UO1-CA154282.
• Keywords: policy; Environmental Sciences; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; vehicles; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; secondhand smoke exposure; Science & Technology; tobacco products
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Environmental Sciences

Abstract

In the United States (U.S.), secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure causes more than 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults annually. Adoption of smoke-free laws in public areas has increased, but private settings such as vehicles remain a source of SHS exposure. This study assessed change in voluntary smoke-free vehicle rules and SHS exposure in personal vehicles among U.S. adults between two periods, 2009-2010 and 2013-2014, using data from the National Adult Tobacco Survey (NATS). NATS is a national landline and cellular telephone survey of non-institutionalized adults aged ≥18 years in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. We assessed percentage change in the prevalence of smoke-free vehicle rules among all adults and SHS exposure in vehicles among nonsmoking adults, overall, by sociodemographic factors (sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, annual household income, U.S. region), and by cigarette smoking status. During 2009-2010 to 2013-2014, the percentage of adults with a 100% smoke-free vehicle rule increased from 73.6% to 79.5% (% change = +8.0%; p < 0.05). Among nonsmokers, SHS exposure in vehicles in the previous 7 days decreased from 9.2% to 8.2% (% change = -10.9%; p < 0.05). Smoke-free rules in private settings such as vehicles, in coordination with comprehensive smoke-free policies in indoor public settings, can help reduce SHS exposure and promote smoke-free norms.