Abstract

SCHONFELD, Daniel  and  REGNANDO, Marcela. Tobacco smoke-free environments: Impact of a Municipal Ordinance on school teachers in Puerto Madryn. Rev. amer. med. respiratoria [online]. 2012, vol.12, n.3, pp.86-89. ISSN 1852-236X.

Smoking is an addiction associated to high morbidity and mortality worldwide with the peculiarity that the smoking habit starts in young people during the school years. Restrictive laws on tobacco consumption in public spaces aim to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke but also to induce smokers to reduce or stop their consumption in these spaces. This paper analyzes the impact of a municipal ordinance on 100% tobacco smoke-free environments, followed by an important communication program, on teachers in direct contact with young people, comparing a survey two years before and a similar survey two years after the enactment of the ordinance. Tobacco consumption decreased in the school settings (from 60.7 to 17.9%), the availability of smoking areas diminished (from 49% to 6.6%) and the smoking habit was reduced or stopped in a significant percent of teachers (70.5%), which undoubtedly reflects a change in the view of the students about this addiction. We conclude that restrictive laws (environments 100% free of tobacco smoke) associated with communication activities have an important impact in the fight against smoking.

Keywords : Smoking; Teachers; Ordinance; Interdisciplinary team.

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