Learn about research findings and policy recommendations of research looking at the impact of secondhand smoke in vehicles.

1. The Impacts of Secondhand
Smoke in Vehicles
Research Findings and Policy Recommendations
March 2, 2017
Live Webinar

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Today: The Impacts of SHS in Vehicles
Expert Presenters
Emily M. Anderson
Program Director
Assoc. for Nonsmokers, Minnesota
Dave Bohac, P.E.
Director of Research
Center for Energy & Environment

6. Goals for Today’s Webinar
• Describe the impact of secondhand smoke (SHS) on
children.
• Talk about rates at which children are still exposed to SHS
in vehicles.
• Discuss previous research on the impact of smoking in
vehicles.
• Provide details about CEE’s research study
• Define the policy “lay of the land” and policy options for
Minnesota and other states
• Debut our “Smoke Free Cars for Kids” video!

7. This work was supported by ClearWay Minnesota. Any public dissemination of
information relating to the grant was made possible by Grant Number RC 2014-0013
from ClearWay Minnesota. The contents of this information are the sole responsibility
of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ClearWay Minnesota.

10. Kids are Exposed to SHS in Cars
National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2009
More than one-
fifth of
nonsmoking
students in
grades 6 through
12 are exposed to
SHS in vehicles.

11. MN Kids are Exposed to SHS in Cars
Minnesota Youth Tobacco and Asthma Survey, 2011
1 in 4 middle
school students
report that they
have ridden in a
car with
someone who
was smoking
cigarettes in the
preceding week

12. Kids, Cars and SHS: What We Know
While there is no safe level of exposure to SHS,
SHS in cars is particularly bad.

13. Kids, Cars and SHS: What We Know

14. What else do we need to know?
• What if I only smoke with
my window open?
• What if I hold my
cigarette out the window
between puffs?
• What if I always turn the
air vents to “fresh air”
mode?
• What if my child only sits
in the far back of my
minivan?

15. Comprehensive Study Design
• 138 Smoking Trials
• Sedan, Minivan, SUV (46/vehicle)
• Why So Many Trials?
• Windows
• closed
• 2” open
• driver open (summer only)
• all open (summer only)
• Ventilation
• Summer: off, recirculation, fresh
• Winter: defrost, heat, both
• Speed
• local (30mph)
• Expressway (60mph)
• Smoking Behavior
• towards window
• away from window
• Seasons (summer/winter)
http://www.worthypause.com/2014/03/m
innesota-seasons-pie-chart.html
https://www.tispol.org/image-galleries/stock-
photos/car/car-speedometer-mph-and-
kph?size=preview
http://www.theguardian.com
/commentisfree/2011/nov/2
0/smoking-ban-in-cars
http://www.worthypause.com
/2014/03/minnesota-
seasons-pie-chart.html
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/civic-hybrid/112950-temperature-c-
screen.html

16. Fine Particulates Used To Measure
Secondhand Smoke
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/publications/pd/020/2013-NaturalOutlook/pm2.5-
standards-may-be-set-lower-than-scientifically-justifiable
• Fine particulates (PM2.5)
emitted by smoking
• Often SHS is only significant
source of PM2.5
• Reliable instruments for real-
time measurements
• Most common tracer for SHS
research

17. Measurement Protocol
CO2
Tank
Outdoor
Monitors
Inside Monitors

18. Sample PM2.5 Measurements
Vehicle: SUV
Windows: 2” open
Ventilation: Fresh Air Mode
Vehicle Speed: 30 mph
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
<< smoking >>
4 to 6 minutes
<< after smoking >>
Front passenger
Rear seat (behind driver)
Typical Minnesota bar

19. EPAAir Quality Index
Air Quality Air Quality Index 24-hr PM2.5
(mg/m3)
Health Concern
Hazardous ≥ 301 > 250
Health alert: everyone may experience more serious
health effects
Very Unhealthy 201 -300 151 - 250
Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire
population is more likely to be affected
Unhealthy 151 - 200 56 - 150
Everyone may begin to experience health effects;
members of sensitive groups may experience more
serious health effects.
Unhealthy for
Sensitive Groups
101 - 150 36 -55
Members of sensitive groups may experience health
effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
Moderate 51 - 100 13 - 35
Air quality is acceptable; there may be a moderate
health concern for a very small number of people who
are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Good 0 - 50 0 - 12
Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution
poses little or no risk
Associated health effects from air pollution
71 ug/m3 = typical Minnesota bar on weekend night (before Freedom to Breath)

20. Sample PM2.5 Measurements
Vehicle: SUV
Windows: 2” open
Ventilation: Fresh Air Mode
Vehicle Speed: 30 mph
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
<< smoking >>
Unhealthy
Very Unhealthy
Hazardous
Typical Minnesota bar

21. Sample PM2.5 Measurements
Vehicle: SUV
Windows: All Closed
Ventilation: Fresh Air Mode
Vehicle Speed: 30 mph
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Hazardous
Unhealthy
Very Unhealthy
Typical Minnesota bar
Hazardous: Health warnings of emergency
conditions. The entire population is more
likely to be affected.

22. Analysis of Each Smoking Trial
• Peak concentration for shorter intervals
(5, 10,15, & 30 seconds)
• Average concentration during smoking, after smoking,
and entire period
• Total exposure until concentrations return to outdoor
baseline (=average concentration * time)
• Length of time concentration equal to or greater than
EPA Air Quality Index Levels

23. PM2.5 30 Second Peak Results
average = 2,013 ug/m3
(359 to 5,612 ug/m3) 87% lower 55% lower

24. Average PM2.5 Concentration
> 70 ug/m3 for closed and 2”
open windows for local driving

25. Comparison of 30 Second Peak to
Average PM2.5 Concentration
Average over all three vehicles and three summer ventilation modes
with windows closed
About a 3 to 1 ratio
between 30 second
peak and average over
entire exposure
Hazardous

26. Exposure Duration
How long after smoking done does it take to get rid of
secondhand smoke?
• Windows closed: 4.3 – 25+ minutes
• Open driver window 2”: average = 4.2 minutes
• Driver window full open: average = 1.7 minutes

27. Regression Analysis of Exposure
• Opening drivers window reduces exposure by 93%
and fully opening windows reduces by another 62%
• Sedan had lowest exposure
• Minivan 46% greater
• SUV 69% greater
• Not much difference between fan off and recirculation
mode, but 40 – 50% lower exposure for “fresh” mode
• Exposure at least two times greater for 30 mph than
60 mph
• Holding cigarette towards window reduced exposure
by 34% to 75%
• No significant difference for location in vehicle except
van far back

28. Take Away Messages
Secondhand smoke exposure
in vehicles is extremely
dangerous.
With windows closed, SHS fine
particulate matter concentrations
range from 359 to 5612 with an
average of 2013 μg/m3.
Those levels are higher than
concentrations typically found in
bars were smoking is permitted.

29. Take Away Messages
Secondhand smoke remains
a concern even after the
driver has stopped smoking.
A passenger’s total average
exposure during and after
smoking is about equal to sitting
in a typical smoky bar for
3 hours.

30. Take Away Messages
There is no safe level of
exposure to secondhand
smoke, and kids are at
particular risk.
1 in 4 middle school
students report being in a
vehicle while someone is
smoking in the past 7 days.

31. Take Away Messages
Kids being
exposed to
secondhand
smoke in
vehicles is STILL
a problem!

32. How can we protect kids?
Smoke-Free Cars for Kids!
• States can pass laws that would prohibit smoking in a
vehicle when children under the age of 18 are present in
order to protect kids from dangerous SHS.

33. Smoke-Free Cars for Kids Laws

34. Do people support smoke-free cars
for kids?

35. What could a MN law look like?
• Protect kids under 18
• State and local law
enforcement
• NOT a primary
offense

36. Kids in Cars Video

37. Next Steps?
• Educate decision makers and community members about
the dangers of exposure to SHS, especially for kids.
• Let them know that SHS exposure is still a problem for MN
kids.
• Tell decision makers that MN is not a leader on this issue, but
can catch up!
• Share the video!
• Keep our eyes a few years down the road, which
legislators might be ready to tackle this issue in MN.

38. References
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of
Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to
Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006.
3. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Environmental Health, “Environmental Tobacco Smoke: A
Hazard to Children,” Pediatrics 99(4), April 1997.
4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2016). Air Quality Index (AQI) Basics. Retrieved March 21, 2016,
from https://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqibasics.aqi
5. Rosow Chrisman, K. (2014). Plotting China’s Air Quality: The Good, The Bad, The Un-Breathable.
Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://breakingenergy.com/2014/04/16/plotting-chinas-air-quality-the-good-
the-bad-the-un-breathable/
6. Center for Energy and Environment. (2016). Measuring Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Vehicles.
Retrieved March 21, 2016, from http://mncee.org/Innovation-Exchange/Projects/Current/Secondhand-
Smoke-in-Vehicles/
7. Minnesota Youth tobacco and Asthma Survey (2011).

39. Pg. 39
Videos
• ‘Kids in Cars’ (ANSR MN):
https://youtu.be/-e_YnLSIKvI
• ‘How Dangerous is Smoking in Cars’
(TobaccoFreeCA): https://vimeo.com/1513382
• Technical information on SHS in vehicles (CEE):
www.mncee.org/SHS-vehicles

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Audience
Question & Answer

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44. Dave Bohac, P.E.
dbohac@mncee.org
Emily Anderson
emily@ansrmn.org

45. How To Measure Secondhand Smoke?
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/publications/pd/020/2013-NaturalOutlook/pm2.5-
standards-may-be-set-lower-than-scientifically-justifiable