Secondhand Smoke Exposure in the Workplace: A Lingering Hazard for Young Adults in California

Background:

California’s 1995 smoke-free workplace law includes several exemptions, e.g. for certain types of hotel guest rooms and lobbies, warehouses, small businesses and even health care facilities. Low income workers, ethnoracial minorities and young adults are disproportionately impacted by these policy gaps. In this study, we examine young adult exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace.

Methods:

We conducted a probabilistic household survey of young adults (18-26), stratified by race/ethnicity, in San Francisco and Alameda Counties (n=1,295) in 2014, focusing on tobacco use and health behavior. Logistic regression is used to evaluate secondhand smoke exposure in the workplace in the past 7 days among young adults by occupation, income and race/ethnicity.

Results:

Almost one third (27.5%) of employed young adults reported exposure to secondhand smoke at their workplace in the previous 7 days compared with an exposure rate of 12.9% among California adults overall. Exposure varied by occupational category and race. Young adults employed in service occupations (OR: 5.3, CI: [1.3, 21.1]) and construction and maintenance occupations (OR: 15.0, CI: [2.9, 78.6]) were more likely to be exposed, and Non-Hispanic blacks were significantly more likely to report exposure than Non-Hispanic whites (OR: 2.7, CI: [1.1, 6.4]). Young adults who reported exposure were also less likely to report being in very good or excellent health.

Conclusion:

Despite longstanding smoke-free workplace policies in California, young adults, ethnoracial minority populations and those employed in lower income occupations continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke in their work environments. Eliminating exemptions in California’s smoke-free workplace law may reduce these disparities.