PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - So Lun Lee
AU  - Wilfred Hing Sang Wong
AU  - Yu Lung Lau
TI  - Smoke-free legislation reduces hospital admissions for childhood lower respiratory tract infection
AID  - 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052541
DP  - 2016 Dec 01
TA  - Tobacco Control
PG  - e90--e94
VI  - 25
IP  - e2
4099  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/25/e2/e90.short
4100  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/25/e2/e90.full
SO  - Tob Control2016 Dec 01; 25
AB  - Background Previous studies showed reduction of hospital admissions for asthma after implementation of comprehensive smoke-free legislation. We aimed to evaluate the impact of comprehensive smoke-free legislation implemented in Hong Kong in 2007 on hospital admissions for childhood lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI).Methods We obtained data on 75 870 hospital admissions for LRTI among children ≤18 years of age between January 2004 and December 2012 from all Hospital Authority hospitals. Using a negative binomial regression model, we assessed the impact of smoke-free legislation on admission counts.Results After legislation implementation, there was an immediate effect with a change in the admission count of −33.5% (95% CI −36.4% to −30.5%), and a change in time trend to −13.9% per year (95% CI −16.0% to −11.7%). Overall, the legislation was associated with a net 47.4% reduction in admission counts in the first year. We estimated that the legislation was associated with a reduction of 13 635 admissions in the first 6 years after implementation. The immediate reduction and change in time trend was more apparent among school-age than preschool children.Conclusions Implementation of comprehensive smoke-free legislation was associated with a significant reduction in hospital admissions for childhood LRTI.