DAILY EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE - SMOKERS VS NONSMOKERSIN CALIFORNIA

Objectives. This study examined the differences in environmental tobac co smoke exposure: between smokers and non-smokers. Methods. A probabi lity sample of 1579 California adults completed a 1-day time diary of a full day's activities in which they reported whether any smoker was present during each activity. Results. Some 61% of respondents reporte d at least some environmental tobacco smoke exposure in these diary ac counts (for an average of up to 5 hours per day), and potential exposu re rose monotonically with number of cigarettes actively smoked. Heavi est smokers reported about four times as much such exposure as nonsmok ers. Conclusions. Because smokers lead life-styles that expose them to far higher levels of environmental tobacco smoke exposure, that facto r needs to be controlled in studies estimating the effects of active s moking.