Informing effective smokefree policies in Argentina: air quality monitoring study in 15 cities (2007-2009)

objective. to evaluate indoor air pollution in hospitality venues in argentina. material and methods. pm2.5 levels were measured in a convenience sample of venues in 15 cities with different legislative contexts following a protocol developed by roswell park cancer institute. results. 554 samples were collected. across all 5 smokefree cities the mean pm2.5 level was lower during daytime vs. evening hours, 24 vs. 98 pm2.5 respectively (p=.012). in the three cities evaluated before and after legislation, pm2.5 levels decreased dramatically (p<0.001 each). overall, pm2.5 levels were 5 times higher in cities with no legislation vs. smokefree cities (p<0.001). in cities with designated smoking areas, pm2.5 levels were not statistically different between smoking and non-smoking areas (p=0.272). non-smoking areas had significantly higher pm2.5 levels compared to 100% smokefree venues in the same city (twofold higher) (p=0.017). conclusions. most of the participating cities in this study had significantly lower pm2.5 levels after the implementation of 100% smokefree legislation. hence, it represents a useful tool to promote 100% smokefree policies in argentina.