Exposure to second-hand smoke and support for smoke-free policies in an urban district in Lagos, Nigeria

• Main Authors: Chiamaka Queen Ikpe, Tope Olubodun, Olukemi Ololade Odukoya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: European Publishing 2018-03-01
• Series: Tobacco Induced Diseases
• Subjects: WCTOH
• Online Access: http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Exposure-to-second-hand-smoke-and-support-for-smoke-free-policies-in-an-urban-district,84545,0,2.html

Background Second hand smoke (SHS) is a danger to human health with no safe levels of exposure. With the recently enacted state-wide anti-smoking law, this study aimed to examine the self-reported exposure to SHS and assess the support for smoke-free policies among residents of Oriade Local Council Development Area, an urban district in Lagos. Methods This cross sectional descriptive study was carried out among 355 respondents in July 2016, two years after the enactment of the state-wide anti-smoking law. Multistage sampling method was used to select the respondents. Data was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires adapted from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) and analysed using EPI-INFO 7 statistical software. Results The mean age of the respondents was 33.9 ± 11.0 years. Majority of the respondents (62.0%) had good knowledge of the effects of SHS but 89.0% were unaware of the Lagos state anti-smoking law. Attitudes towards SHS were generally positive as 94.9% of respondents had little tolerance for SHS. Most (83.2%) disallow smoking in their homes and over ninety percent agree adults should not smoke around children. About two-thirds support a law that prohibits smoking in all public places, over half (55.5%) support a law prohibiting advertisements for tobacco products, and (73.3%) agree that there should be a total ban on the production of tobacco products. Majority of the respondents reported exposure to second hand smoke at work (47.3%), restaurants (54.7%), markets (59.4%), bars and clubs (58.6%), roadside (86.8%), bus stops (84.2%) and motor parks (85.6%). About seventy percent were non-smokers. Conclusions Knowledge and attitude to second-hand smoke was good, while knowledge of the anti-smoking law was poor. Exposure to SHS was high which calls for enforcement of the anti-smoking law, awareness and education campaigns on the effects of SHS in Lagos.