Evaluating Exposure to Second-Hand Tobacco Smoke in Leisure Public Places in Cluj-Napoca Romania

Prevalence of tobacco use among Romanian adolescents, ages 13-15 was of 18.3% in 2004, and among adults, ages >=15 were of 32.6% in 2005 (WHO, 2008). Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is not only disturbing but is also a serious health hazard that can lead to (Surgeon General's Report, 2006) Disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking adults, secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals, and is itself a known human carcinogen, nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke inhale many of the same toxins as smokers even brief exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and increases risk for heart disease and lung cancer. The present pilot study analyzed the level of implementation of the current legal provisions regarding tobacco consumption in public leisure places (29 daytime bars and cafes) in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. We sought to find weather current policies protect non-smokers, if there are any differences in services offered and customer treatment based on smoking/non-smoking area choice and what is the scale between rooms serving smokers/non-smokers. The research design had a qualitative approach, using observation as primary method but also document analysis for the policy analysis. Results show that most of the public leisure places in the study did not fully (or at all) respect the provisions of the law. Based on the available data we recommend a policy proposal that will reduce the current health risks that non-smoking individuals face in public places.