Assessment of second-hand smoke exposure and point of purchase tobacco advertising in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The purpose of this pilot research was two-fold: (1) to evaluate the success of Brazil's clean indoor air policy through assessing second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and (2) to quantify the extent of point of purchase (POP) tobacco advertising in areas surrounding high schools. With assistance from INCA, the Brazilian National Cancer Institute, six high schools included in the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), two per socioeconomic strata (high, mid and low), were selected to be surveyed. POP advertising was assessed at all points of sale within a 500 meter radius of each GYTS school using Tobacco Control Tracking Tools, an observational survey developed by the Institute of Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins University. Information was collected with special attention being paid to the type, brand, location (on counter, at child's eye level etc.) and quantity of advertisements. In addition, air monitoring for particulate matter (PM 2.5), a surrogate marker for second-hand smoke exposure, was performed in three indoor public places (restaurants, bars or cafés) per neighborhood. Following a protocol developed by Roswell Park Cancer Research Center, air was sampled continuously for 30 minutes in each public place noting the number of people present, number smoking and ventilation. The preliminary findings include an analysis of the various advertising strategies and levels of particulate matter suggesting significant SHS exposure. Addressing two distinct aspects of tobacco control, this research will hopefully give the Brazilian government information to help strengthen their tobacco control efforts by highlighting the need for further intervention.