2007 National Conference on Tobacco or Health

Thursday, October 25, 2007
Exhibit Hall

Trends in home exposure to secondhand smoke in Wisconsin.

Kathryn G. Anderson, MS, University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center, Program on Surveillance and Evaluation, kganderson@wisc.edu, David M. Ahrens, MS, University of Wisconsin Paul Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, Surveillance and Evaluation Program, ahrens@uwccc.wisc.edu.

Learning Objectives: Descibe trends in home exposure, barriers to change and methods of reducing exposure

Problem/Objective: The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of home smoking by smokers/non-smokers and children and no children present at home. We determined the changes in trends in Wisconsin over the past fifteen years by these sub-populations and assessed the potential of various interventions to reduce exposure. Methods: Analysis of state (Wisconsin Tobacco Survey) and national survey data (CPS). Results: Almost all non-smoking respondents with children reported policies for non-smoking in their homes. They also report no-smoking. More than half of smokers still regularly smoke at home with little differentiation in behavior as a result of children in the home. We also found a significant percent of smokers who report a “policy” of non-smoking but regularly smoke. We calculate that approximately 250,000 school age children in Wisconsin are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. However, there appears to be on-going progress in reducing exposure of children. Conclusions: Significant progress has been made among non-smokers and to a lesser extent among smokers in de-normalizing smoking in the home. Programs to reduce home smoking must be closely targeted to parent-smokers. This can be accomplished through educating and supporting pediatricians who treat children for effects of exposure as well as marketing new social and behavioral norms.