Smoking ban in a psychiatry department: Are nonsmoking employees less exposed to environmental tobacco smoke?

Doi : 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2009.04.003

F. Vorspan ^a ^b , V. Bloch ^a ^b, E. Guillem ^a ^b, G. Dupuy ^a, S. Pirnay ^b, N. Jacob ^c, J.-P. Lépine ^a ^b

Sous presse. Épreuves corrigées par l'auteur. Disponible en ligne depuis le vendredi 19 juin 2009

Abstract

Staff members of psychiatric facilities are at high risk of secondhand smoking. Smoking exposure was assessed in 41 nonsmoking employees of a psychiatry department before and after a ban. Subjective exposure measures decreased in 76% of the subjects. Salivary cotinine decreased in the subsample of seven subjects with high pre-ban levels (32±8 vs 40±17ng/ml, p =.045).

Keywords : Nicotine, Psychiatry in Europe, Smoking exposure, Psychiatry inpatient facility