Banning cigarette smoking on US Navy submarines: a case study.

BACKGROUND: The military has had a long pro-tobacco tradition. Despite official policy discouraging smoking, tobacco still is widely seen as part of military culture. While active smoking has presented a particular challenge for the military, in recent years there also has been increasing concern with secondhand smoke. This is especially true in closed environments and submarines may be deployed for months at a time. The current case study describes the successful implementation by the Navy of a comprehensive ban on smoking aboard submarines. METHODS: The authors searched documents on the internet, popular media, military-based news outlets and the scientific literature. We also conducted interviews with Navy officers who were instrumental in policy implementation. FINDINGS: Data demonstrating substantial exposure of non-smokers to tobacco smoke aboard submarines had major impact on successful adoption of the policy. A systematic and extended roll out of the ban included establishing a working group, soliciting input and active engagement from submarine personnel, and offering cessation assistance. Support was enlisted from Chief Petty Officers who could have been strongly opposed but who became strong proponents. Fewer problems were encountered than had been expected. In contrast to a previous unsuccessful attempt by a Navy captain to ban smoking on his ship, the ban was adopted without apparent tobacco industry interference. CONCLUSIONS: Lessons learned included the importance of strong empirical support, effective framing of the issue, setting a realistic timeline, soliciting support from key personnel and providing appropriate resources. These lessons have implications for those considering further tobacco policy changes in the military and elsewhere.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the US Navy and Marine Corps Tobacco Policy: an assessment of secondhand smoke exposure in US Navy submariners.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the US Navy and Marine Corps tobacco policy in protecting submariners from secondhand smoke (SHS) by determining if non-tobacco users experienced a significant increase in urinary cotinine levels at sea when compared with in port levels. METHODS: From February to August 2009, 634 volunteers recruited from nine US Navy submarines completed a survey to collect demographic data, information on tobacco use and pre-deployment exposure to SHS. Non-tobacco users (n=239) were requested to provide two urine samples (pre-deployment and while at sea) to quantify exposure to SHS using urinary cotinine as a biomarker. Matched samples were analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Overall, deployed cotinine levels were 2.1 times the in port levels in non-tobacco using submariners (95% CI 1.8 to 2.4, p<0.001, n=197). A significant increase in deployed urinary cotinine levels was found aboard six of nine submarines (p<0.05). A subgroup of submariners (n=91) who reported no SHS exposure within 10 days prior to in port cotinine sampling had deployed cotinine levels 2.7 times the in port levels (95% CI 2.2 to 3.3, p<0.001). Applying a 4.5:1 urine cotinine to serum cotinine correction factor, submariners' deployed geometric means are similar to recent US male population values at the 75th percentile. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that non-tobacco using submariners were exposed to SHS. Exposure was seen in all submarine classes and was not limited to personnel working in proximity to the smoking area. The existing policy was inadequate to protect non-smokers from exposure to SHS and required revision. As a result of a policy review, informed by this study, smoking below decks was banned aboard all US Navy submarines effective 31 December 2010.

Versatile strategy for homogeneous drying patterns of dispersed particles.

After spilling coffee, a tell-tale stain is left by the drying droplet. This universal phenomenon, known as the coffee ring effect, is observed independent of the dispersed material. However, for many technological processes such as coating techniques and ink-jet printing a uniform particle deposition is required and the coffee ring effect is a major drawback. Here, we present a simple and versatile strategy to achieve homogeneous drying patterns using surface-modified particle dispersions. High-molecular weight surface-active polymers that physisorb onto the particle surfaces provide enhanced steric stabilization and prevent accumulation and pinning at the droplet edge. In addition, in the absence of free polymer in the dispersion, the surface modification strongly enhances the particle adsorption to the air/liquid interface, where they experience a thermal Marangoni backflow towards the apex of the drop, leading to uniform particle deposition after drying. The method is independent of particle shape and applicable to a variety of commercial pigment particles and different dispersion media, demonstrating the practicality of this work for everyday processes.

Design parameters of stainless steel plates for maximizing high frequency ultrasound wave transmission.

This work validated, in a higher frequency range, the theoretical predictions made by Boyle around 1930, which state that the optimal transmission of sound pressure through a metal plate occurs when the plate thickness equals a multiple of half the wavelength of the sound wave. Several reactor design parameters influencing the transmission of high frequency ultrasonic waves through a stainless steel plate were examined. The transmission properties of steel plates of various thicknesses (1-7 mm) were studied for frequencies ranging from 400 kHz to 2 MHz and at different distances between plates and transducers. It was shown that transmission of sound pressure through a steel plate showed high dependence of the thickness of the plate to the frequency of the sound wave (thickness ratio). Maximum sound pressure transmission of ∼ 60% of the incident pressure was observed when the ratio of the plate thickness to the applied frequency was a multiple of a half wavelength (2 MHz, 6mm stainless steel plate). In contrast, minimal sound pressure transmission (∼ 10-20%) was measured for thickness ratios that were not a multiple of a half wavelength. Furthermore, the attenuation of the sound pressure in the transmission region was also investigated. As expected, it was confirmed that higher frequencies have more pronounced sound pressure attenuation than lower frequencies. The spatial distribution of the sound pressure transmitted through the plate characterized by sonochemiluminescence measurements using luminol emission, supports the validity of the pressure measurements in this study.