Reduction in Emergency Department Visits for Children's Ear and Respiratory Infections after the Introduction of Smoke-Free Legislation

Summer D. S. Hawkins, Boston College
Sylvia Hristakeva, Boston College
Mark Gottlieb, Northeastern University
Christopher Baum, Boston College

Despite the benefits of smoke-free legislation on adult health, little is known about children’s health. We examined the effects of tobacco control policies on emergency department (ED) visits for childhood asthma, ear infections (EI), and respiratory infections (RI) using hospital discharge data in Massachusetts and Vermont (2001-2010). We used negative binomial regression models to analyze the effect of local and state smoke-free legislation on ED visits, controlling for cigarette taxes and health care reform legislation. We found that state smoke-free legislation was associated with a 13% reduction and health care reform legislation with a 19% reduction in ED visits for EIs. We found similar reductions in ED visits for RIs. For asthma, state smoke-free legislation was associated with a 13% reduction in ED visits among adolescents only. Our results suggest that state tobacco control policies may improve children’s health by reducing ED visits for EIs and RIs across all ages and asthma among adolescents.