GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS FOR SMOKING IN MULTI-UNIT HOUSING IN ASIA - A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Among all deaths due to smoking, seven million are the result of direct tobacco use while approximately 1.2 million results from exposure to second-hand smoke in non-smokers. In recent years, third-hand smoke, which is residual smoke gases and particles that settle on surfaces has emerged as another exposure route adding to the cumulative burden of tobacco. Home can represent a significant source of second-hand and third-hand smoke, especially for individuals who live in multiunit housing. This review is intended to provide evidence on the existing regulations and guidelines available in the literature pertaining to this matter in Asia. A scoping review was conducted for published and unpublished literature in the following databases: OVID Medline, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. From the databases, 5 articles and 5 regulations or guidelines were finally included in this review. Only five countries in Asia have existing regulations or guidelines related to smoking in multi-unit housing; they are Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Brunei. The regulations in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Brunei have outlined the prohibition of indoor and outdoor smoking in common areas within the residential building while for the Republic of Korea and Japan, it is stated that responsibility lies within state and territory governments, non-government organizations as well as housing providers to establish policies in multi-unit housing. No retrievable guideline or regulation was found with regards to smoking in multi-unit housing in other Asian countries.

Keywords; Regulations, Guidelines, Smoking, Multi-unit housing, Asia