Media release: June 6, 2006
Going
to smoky pubs can more than double teenagers’ risk of meningococcal disease,
says a large new research study.
Health
and employee organisations are calling for
licensed venue smokefree laws to be tightened in all jurisdictions –
especially the NT, NSW, Victoria and SA – after publication of the study in Emerging
Infectious Diseases journal.*
The
study tested throat swabs from almost 14,000 UK teenagers aged 15 to 19.
It found, after eliminating other variables, that smoking a packet a day
doubled the risk of carriage of the disease, and exposure to secondhand smoke at
home increased the risk by 17%.
The
study also found going out to smoky UK pubs increased the risk of the
potentially fatal disease by 52% for those attending one night a week, and more
than doubled the risk for those attending 5-7 nights a week.
The
authors conclude that “the increasing risk with the number of days that
persons visited pubs of clubs may well be due to passive smoking”. Noting that
UK pub smoke bans will take effect from 2007, they comment that “Potential
health benefits… may include a reduction in the risk of meningococcal
meningitis and septicaemia.”
The
SmokeFree Australia coalition of major health and employee organisations** has
called on all Australian jurisdictions to protect young pub-goers and staff by
ending delays and tightening pub/club smoke bans.
Says
coalition co-ordinator Stafford Sanders: “While Tasmania and Queensland have
acted quickly to restrict smoking to separate and unserviced outdoor areas,
other jurisdictions are dragging the chain – and in doing so, they’re
clearly jeopardising young people’s health.
“The
Northern Territory has no meaningful restrictions in place, nor a timeline for
introducing them; and in NSW, Victoria, ACT and SA, slow deadlines and huge
loopholes will see barworkers, entertainers and regular patrons facing this
doubled risk – as well as other life-threatening risks – for many years.
“The
community wants these laws to be quick and comprehensive, and lives and health
depend on it. There’s no good reason for further delay.
“If
these states don’t catch up, then we’d strongly advise young people to avoid
pubs and clubs altogether until they’re safely smokefree. But that will be
difficult for those young people who depend for their livelihood on working in
these venues.”
*
MacLennan J et al
(June 2006), Social behavior and meningococcal carriage in British teenagers. Emerg
Infect Dis at
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no06/05-1297.htm
Comment:
Stafford Sanders, SmokeFree Australia
ph. (02) 9334-1823 m.
0412-070-194
* SmokeFree Australia coalition
for clean safe workplaces:
Liquor,
Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers’ Union; Musicians’ Union of Australia; Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance; Australian Council of
Trade Unions; Action on Smoking and Health Australia; The Cancer Council
Australia; National Heart Foundation of Australia; Australian Council on Smoking
and Health; Non-Smokers’ Movement of Australia; Australian Medical
Association; Asthma and Allergy Research Institute.