<< Epidemiology and Intervention Research Tobacco use causes death and disease not only among those who actively smoke but also among those who are exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). The successful development and implementation of measures to restrict smoking in indoor environments and the intensity of enforcement vary among countries around the world. China, which has the largest population of smokers in the world, has signed and ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control but so far there have been few controls put in place to limit SHS exposure in public places. The data gathered in this study further strengthen the evidence against SHS. Environmental nicotine concentrations in China provide evidence for implementation and enforcement of smoke-free initiatives in public places and indicate the need for protecting the public from exposure to secondhand smoke. - To assess nicotine concentrations as an indicator of SHS exposure in public places in both urban and rural areas of China.
Measurement of vapor-phase nicotine concentration using a common protocol in all locations. A total of 273 samplers were placed for seven days in urban and rural areas of China, including Beijing and in the capital city and a rural county area within the following provinces: Sichuan (capital city: Chengdu/rural area: Mianzhu), Jiangxi (Nanchang/Anyi) and Henan (Zhengzhou/Xin’an). Samplers were deployed in hospitals, secondary schools, city government buildings, train stations, restaurants and entertainment establishments (internet cafes, mahjong parlors, karaoke bars) in each location. The airborne concentration of nicotine in µg/m3 was measured by gas chromatography.
Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China | 
