Objective To determine current secondhand smoke (SHS) concentrations in bars previously assessed as part of an evaluation of Scottish smoke-free legislation 5 years ago.

Design Comparison between SHS levels measured in 2006 and 2011 in 39 pubs in 2 Scottish cities.

Methods Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) was measured discreetly for 30 min in each bar on one or two visits 5 years after the previous visit in May/June 2006. These 5-year follow-up visits were undertaken on the same day of the week and at approximately the same time of day.

Results Average PM_2.5 levels measured in a total of 51 bar visits in 2011 were 12 μg/m³ (range 2–155 μg/m³) compared to 20 μg/m³ (range 6–104 μg/m³) in the period immediately after the ban in 2006. Fine particulate concentrations in all but two visits in 2011 were comparable to PM_2.5 levels measured in outside ambient air on the same day, with 92% of visits (n=47) providing 30-min average PM_2.5 concentrations less than 25 μg/m³.

Conclusions These results are one of the longest follow-up of any national smoke-free legislation and indicate that, 5 years after introduction, compliance is high and that the legislation continues to provide bar workers and non-smoking customers protection from SHS.