The first Regional Workshop to Monitor Secondhand Smoke Exposure was held in Kobe, Japan from July 13-17, 2009. This workshop was sponsored by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) and co-hosted by the WHO Centre for Health Development (Kobe Centre).

Objectives:

• Review and assess existing secondhand smoke (SHS) data from participating countries
• Train participants in best-practice SHS monitoring procedures and adopt associated study protocols
• Develop Plans of Action for monitoring exposure to SHS in selected public places
• Develop a process for producing a Monograph based on the results of the monitoring studies

Participants from nine countries, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Phillipines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam attended the workshop. Each participating country sent a two-person team to the workshop: one researcher and one communications person. The researcher will lead all aspects of a follow on in-country air monitoring pilot project. The communications specialist will disseminate the data collected to a wider audience in ways that could lead to a possible change in tobacco control policy or to strengthen existing policy.

Between September-December, 2009 tobacco smoke concentrations will be measured in selected public places in the capital cities of the above countries. Public places will include government offices, hospitals, hotels, restaurants and bars, and schools, among others. Air nicotine and particulate matter (PM2.5) will be measured in key locations in each place.