[Exposure to passive smoking in local health units of northern Italy before and after the enforcement of the smoking ban].

Objective: to assess smoking habits, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and smoking attitudes of workers toward different possible institutional restrictions before and after the implementation of the new Italian legislation about the public health protection from passive smoking (L 3/2003).

Design: Descriptive study based on self-reported questionnaires (2004 and 2005) and indoor measurement of particulate matter (PM, 2004 and 2006).

Setting: Local health authority n.1 Triestina (1,067 employees).

Participants: 746 workers in 2004, 200 workers in 2005.

Main Outcome Measure: percentage of smokers and opinions about different firms of control of smoking (absolute prohibition, smokers' reserved locals). Indoor mean levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in workplaces.

Results: smoking employees in 2004 and in 2005 were 28% and 31% (difference non statistically significant). Employees exposed to ETS has been reported decreased from 58% to 47% (p= 0.006). Major reduction has been reported in the offices, while exposure in examination rooms resulted higher in comparison to the offices, both in 2004 and in 2006 Among smokers 43% are available to external helps in order to quit or reduce smoking. Levels of PM2.5 were, in 2006, constantly smaller then those measured in 2004. The same for PM10 (a less specific tobacco smoke indicator) except for the value recorded in one room, slightly higher then in 2004.

Conclusion: Our results confirm that ETS in the surveyed Local Health Authority has been reduced but not eliminated. It is necessary to implement further interventions finalized to defend health of not smoking people: a greater respect of the law, specific health promotion campaigns and free therapeutic interventions in workplaces.