Is it exposure to cigarette smoke or to smokers which increases the risk of meningococcal disease in teenagers?
Contact with smokers is associated with increased risk of MD in adolescents. This is more likely to be due to higher carriage rates in smokers than to exposure to smoke and emphasizes the importance of public health measures to stop smoking. In epidemiological studies that assess risk from passive smoking, exposure to smoke should be differentiated where possible from contact with smokers.
Based on the limitations of this study, the current selection process for dental students in Ireland seems to be of limited value.