Objectives This study describes the 15-year trends of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke at work and at home in Finland.

Methods A postal survey was made annually from 1985 to 2000. It included a random sample of 58 721 Finnish men and women aged 15 to 64 years.

Results In the middle of the 1980s, about a quarter of employed nonsmoking men and 15% of nonsmoking women were exposed at least 1 hour daily to environmental tobacco smoke at work. In 2000, the proportions were 7.9% and 4.4%, respectively. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke at home decreased also slightly. In 2000, 14.3% of the nonsmoking men and 13% of the nonsmoking women aged 15 to 64 years were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke either at work or at home. Exposure at work was about three times more common among smokers than among nonsmokers, but a decreasing trend was also found among smokers. In 2000, in 85% of workplaces smoking was permitted only in separate smoking rooms, or no one was smoking within the work environment. On the other hand, in 7.3% of workplaces smoking was permitted also in common areas.

Conclusions In the past 15 years, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke at work decreased significantly in Finland. Both legislative actions and the general decrease in smoking prevalence have contributed to this decline. However, despite the marked decrease, nearly 14% of nonsmokers aged 15 to 64 years are still exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, either at home or in the workplace.

Key terms environmental tobacco smoke; exposure; Finland; home; legislation; passive smoking; prevalence; smoking; tobacco; work; workplace