Hotel smoking policies and their implementation: a survey of California hotel managers.

BackgroundMost states in the U.S. permit hotels to allow smoking in some guest rooms, and only five (Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin) require that all hotel and motel rooms be 100% smoke-free (State and local 100% smokefree hotel and motel guest room laws enacted as of July 3, 2017). Little is known, however, about how hotels' smoking policies have been implemented. This study examined hotels' smoking policies and their implementation.MethodsA telephone survey of a random sample of 383 California hotel managers was conducted.ResultsOverall, 60.6% of hotels reported that smoking was prohibited in all guest rooms, and 4.7% reported that smoking was prohibited everywhere on their property. While California law permitted smoking in up to 65% of guest rooms, only 6.9% of rooms were reported as smoking-permitted. Over 90% of hotels had smoking rooms scattered among nonsmoking rooms, and about half of the smoking hotels reported that guests requesting either smoking or nonsmoking rooms were sometimes assigned to the other room type. When guests smoked in nonsmoking rooms fees could be substantial, but were often uncollected.ConclusionsHotel smoking policies and their implementation fall short of protecting nonsmoking guests and workers from exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke. Complete indoor smoking bans for all hotels are needed to close existing loopholes. Nonsmokers who wish to protect themselves from exposure to tobacco smoke should avoid hotels that permit smoking and instead stay in completely smoke-free hotels

Cotton pillows: A novel field method for assessment of thirdhand smoke pollution.

Thirdhand smoke (THS) is the residue left behind by secondhand smoke (SHS) that accumulates in indoor environments. THS chemicals can persist long after smoking has ceased and can re-emit semivolatile compounds back into the air. Measuring tobacco smoke pollution in real-world field setting can be technically complex, expensive, and intrusive. This study placed pillows in homes of former smokers and examined how much nicotine adsorbed to them over a three-week period. Organic cotton pillows were placed in the homes of 8 former smokers following the first week after verified smoking cessation until the fourth week. For comparison, pillows were also placed in 4 homes of nonsmokers. Nicotine concentrations were determined in the pillow case, fabric, and cotton filling, using isotope-dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Cotton pillows placed in homes of former smokers absorbed on average 21.5 μg of nicotine. Nicotine concentration per gram of material significantly differed between pillow components (p < 0.001) and was highest for the pillow case (257 ng/g), followed by the pillow fabric (97 ng/g), and the pillow filling (17 ng/g). Nicotine levels in pillows placed in nonsmokers' homes did not differ from laboratory blanks (p > 0.40), or between pillow components (p > 0.40). In the absence of any smoking activity, cotton pillows absorbed significant amounts of nicotine emitted from THS reservoirs in the homes of former smokers. Given the much higher concentrations of SHS in the homes of active smokers, fabrics found throughout the home of a smoker are likely to store a substantial mass of tobacco smoke toxicants. Cotton pillows present a novel method that could be of interest to researchers requiring robust and unobtrusive methods to examine tobacco smoke pollution in real-world field settings

Hotel smoking policies and their implementation: a survey of California hotel managers

Introduction Most states in the U.S. permit hotels to allow smoking in some guest rooms, and only five (Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin) require that all hotel and motel rooms be 100% smoke-free (State and local 100% smokefree hotel and motel guest room laws enacted as of July 3, 2017). Little is known, however, about how hotels’ smoking policies have been implemented. This study examined hotels’ smoking policies and their implementation. Material and Methods A telephone survey of a random sample of 383 California hotel managers was conducted. Results Overall, 60.6% of hotels reported that smoking was prohibited in all guest rooms, and 4.7% reported that smoking was prohibited everywhere on their property. While California law permitted smoking in up to 65% of guest rooms, only 6.9% of rooms were reported as smoking-permitted. Over 90% of hotels had smoking rooms scattered among nonsmoking rooms, and about half of the smoking hotels reported that guests requesting either smoking or nonsmoking rooms were sometimes assigned to the other room type. When guests smoked in nonsmoking rooms fees could be substantial, but were often uncollected. Conclusions Hotel smoking policies and their implementation fall short of protecting nonsmoking guests and workers from exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke. Complete indoor smoking bans for all hotels are needed to close existing loopholes. Nonsmokers who wish to protect themselves from exposure to tobacco smoke should avoid hotels that permit smoking and instead stay in completely smoke-free hotels

Nicotine in thirdhand smoke residue predicts relapse from smoking cessation: A pilot study.

IntroductionThirdhand smoke (THS) residue lingers for months in homes of former smokers and may play a role in relapse after smoking cessation. This study examined the association between THS pollution as measured by the level of nicotine in house dust and continued abstinence from smoking.MethodsParticipants were 65 cigarette smokers who reported they were enrolled in any type of smoking cessation program, had set a specific date to quit, and had biochemical verification of continuous abstinence at 1-week (W1), 1-month (M1), 3-months (M3), or 6-months (M6) after their quit date. House dust samples collected at baseline before quitting were analyzed for nicotine concentration (μg/g) and nicotine loading (μg/m2) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).ResultsControlling for age, gender, overall and indoor smoking rates, and years lived in their home, dust nicotine concentration and loading predicted abstinence at W1, M1, M3, and M6. A 10-fold increase in dust nicotine loading and concentration were associated with approximately 50% lower odds of remaining abstinent.ConclusionsFindings suggest nicotine in house dust may play a role in facilitating relapse after smoking cessation. Additional research is warranted to investigate the causal role of THS residue in homes of former smokers on cravings and continued abstinence

When smokers move out and non-smokers move in: residential thirdhand smoke pollution and exposure.

This study examined whether thirdhand smoke (THS) persists in smokers' homes after they move out and non-smokers move in, and whether new non-smoking residents are exposed to THS in these homes.The homes of 100 smokers and 50 non-smokers were visited before the residents moved out. Dust, surfaces, air and participants' fingers were measured for nicotine and children's urine samples were analysed for cotinine. The new residents who moved into these homes were recruited if they were non-smokers. Dust, surfaces, air and new residents' fingers were examined for nicotine in 25 former smoker and 16 former non-smoker homes. A urine sample was collected from the youngest resident.Smoker homes' dust, surface and air nicotine levels decreased after the change of occupancy (p<0.001); however dust and surfaces showed higher contamination levels in former smoker homes than former non-smoker homes (p<0.05). Non-smoking participants' finger nicotine was higher in former smoker homes compared to former non-smoker homes (p<0.05). Finger nicotine levels among non-smokers living in former smoker homes were significantly correlated with dust and surface nicotine and urine cotinine.These findings indicate that THS accumulates in smokers' homes and persists when smokers move out even after homes remain vacant for 2 months and are cleaned and prepared for new residents. When non-smokers move into homes formerly occupied by smokers, they encounter indoor environments with THS polluted surfaces and dust. Results suggest that non-smokers living in former smoker homes are exposed to THS in dust and on surfaces

When smokers move out and non-smokers move in: residential thirdhand smoke pollution and exposure.

BackgroundThis study examined whether thirdhand smoke (THS) persists in smokers' homes after they move out and non-smokers move in, and whether new non-smoking residents are exposed to THS in these homes.MethodsThe homes of 100 smokers and 50 non-smokers were visited before the residents moved out. Dust, surfaces, air and participants' fingers were measured for nicotine and children's urine samples were analysed for cotinine. The new residents who moved into these homes were recruited if they were non-smokers. Dust, surfaces, air and new residents' fingers were examined for nicotine in 25 former smoker and 16 former non-smoker homes. A urine sample was collected from the youngest resident.ResultsSmoker homes' dust, surface and air nicotine levels decreased after the change of occupancy (p<0.001); however dust and surfaces showed higher contamination levels in former smoker homes than former non-smoker homes (p<0.05). Non-smoking participants' finger nicotine was higher in former smoker homes compared to former non-smoker homes (p<0.05). Finger nicotine levels among non-smokers living in former smoker homes were significantly correlated with dust and surface nicotine and urine cotinine.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that THS accumulates in smokers' homes and persists when smokers move out even after homes remain vacant for 2 months and are cleaned and prepared for new residents. When non-smokers move into homes formerly occupied by smokers, they encounter indoor environments with THS polluted surfaces and dust. Results suggest that non-smokers living in former smoker homes are exposed to THS in dust and on surfaces