Context: The success of measures to restrict smoking in indoor environments and the intensity of enforcement vary among countries around the world. In 2001, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched the Smoke-Free Americas Initiative to build capacity to achieve smoke-free environments in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Objective: To assess secondhand smoke concentrations in public places in the capital cities of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay in conjunction with the Smoke-Free Americas Initiative.
Design And Setting: Multicountry assessment of vapor-phase nicotine concentrations using a common protocol in all 7 Latin American countries. A total of 633 sampling devices were placed for 7 to 14 days in 1 hospital, 2 secondary schools, 1 city government building, 1 airport (2 in Argentina), and restaurants and bars in each country.
Main Outcome Measure: Concentrations of airborne nicotine.
Results: Airborne nicotine was detected in most (94%) of the locations surveyed. By country, Argentina and Uruguay had the highest median concentrations in most environments (eg, in hospitals: 1.33 [interquartile range [IQR], 0.51-3.12] microg/m3 and 0.8 [IQR, 0.30-1.69] microg/m3, respectively). Overall, bars and restaurants had the highest median concentrations (3.65 [IQR, 1.55-5.12] microg/m3 and 1.24 [IQR, 0.41-2.48] microg/m3, respectively). Nicotine concentrations were also found in a number of key, sentinel buildings, including 95% (155/163) of hospital samples (in the physicians' and nurses' stations the median was 0.27 [IQR, 0.02-1.94] microg/m3), schools, government buildings, and/or airports in most countries.
Conclusions: The finding of airborne nicotine in critical locations in Latin America provides a basis for enforcing smoke-free initiatives and for strengthening the protection of the public from unwanted exposure to secondhand smoke.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.291.22.2741 | DOI Listing |
Viruses
January 2025
Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 5508-900, Brazil.
Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus (DENV), poses a significant global health challenge, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Recent increases in indigenous DENV cases in Europe are concerning, reflecting rising incidence linked to climate change and the spread of mosquitoes. These vectors thrive under environmental conditions like temperature and humidity, which are increasingly influenced by climate change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmaceuticals (Basel)
January 2025
Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic non-communicable disease with an increasing prevalence in Latin America and worldwide, impacting various social and economic areas. It causes numerous complications for those affected. Current treatments for diabetes include oral hypoglycemic drugs, which can lead to adverse effects and health complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogens
January 2025
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Arizona, 5701 North Campbell Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719,USA.
The epidemiology of Chagas disease in humans has markedly changed within the past several decades in the United States of America. This report discusses autochthonous cases of Chagas disease as well as disease in immigrants from Latin American countries. Suggestions for epidemiology research and medical care are discussed given the evolving epidemiology of the disease in the United States of America.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsects
December 2024
Laboratório de Biologia, Controlee Vigilância de InsetosVetores, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, RJ, Brazil.
Background: Yellow fever (YF) is an acute hemorrhagic disease endemic to Africa and Latin America; however, no cases have been reported in Asian regions with high infestation. Factors such as environmental conditions and genetic variations in the yellow fever virus (YFV) strains and mosquito populations may explain this absence. Mosquito populations have undergone strong selective pressure owing to the excessive use of insecticides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicina (Kaunas)
January 2025
Department of Nephrology, Hospital Central de la Defensa Gómez Ulla, 28047 Madrid, Spain.
: The bite of the Loxosceles spider is a public health problem around the world, mainly in Latin America. The viscerocutaneous presentation is related to the inoculation of toxins (phospholipase-D) that generates a systemic inflammatory reaction with a subsequent increase in cytokines and chemokines. Hemoadsorption is proposed as a therapy that allows for the removal of the toxin and modulation of the inflammatory response in this disease.
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