Research article

Levels of second hand smoke in pubs and bars by deprivation and food-serving status: a cross-sectional study from North West England

Richard Edwards¹ , Christian P Hasselholdt² , Kim Hargreaves³ , Claire Probert⁴ , Richard Holford⁵ , Judy Hart⁶ , Martie Van Tongeren⁷ and Adrian FR Watson²

¹Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand

²Department of Environmental & Geographical Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Oxford Rd, Manchester, UK

³East Lancashire Public Health Network, Eagle St, Accrington, UK

⁴North West ASH, Silver St, Bury, UK

⁵Manchester Public Health Development Service, Victoria Mill, Lower VickersStreet, Manchester, UK

⁶Evidence for Population Health, Division of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, UK

⁷Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, UK

author email corresponding author email

BMC Public Health 2006, 6:42doi:10.1186/1471-2458-6-42

Published:	22 February 2006

Abstract

Background

The UK government proposed introducing partial smokefree legislation for England with exemptions for pubs and bars that do not prepare and serve food. We set out to test the hypothesis that pubs from more deprived areas and non food-serving pubs have higher levels of particulate air pollution.

Methods

We conducted a cross sectional study in four mainly urban areas of the North West of England. We recruited a stratified random sample of 64 pubs divided into four groups based on whether their local population was affluent or deprived (using a UK area based deprivation measure), and whether or not they served food. The timing of air quality monitoring stratified to ensure similar distribution of monitoring by day of the week and time of evening between groups. We used a portable air quality monitor to collect fine particle (PM_2.5) levels over a minimum of 30 minutes in areas where smoking was allowed,, and calculated mean time-time weighted average PM_2.5 levels.

Results

Mean PM_2.5 was 285.5 μg/m³ (95% CI 212.7 to 358.3). Mean levels in the four groups were: affluent food-serving pubs (n = 16) 188.1 μg/m³ (95%CI 128.1 to 248.1); affluent non food-serving (n = 16) 186.8 μg/m³ (95%CI 118.9 to 254.3); deprived food-serving (n = 17) 399.4 μg/m³ (95%CI 177.7 to 621.2); and deprived non food-serving (n = 15) 365.7 μg/m³ (195.6 to 535.7). Levels were higher in pubs in deprived communities: mean 383.6 μg/m³ (95% CI 249.2 to 518.0) vs 187.4 μg/m³ (144.8 to 229.9); geometric mean 245.2 μg/m³ vs 151.2 μg/m³ (p = 0.03). There was little difference in particulate levels between food and non food-serving pubs.

Conclusion

This study adds to the evidence that the UK government’s proposals for partial smokefree legislation in England would offer the least protection to the most heavily exposed group - bar workers and customers in non food-serving pubs in deprived areas. The results suggest these proposals would work against the UK government’s stated aim to reduce health inequalities.