Cleaner Air

One of the main aims of the laws banning smoking in public buildings, workplaces and vehicles was to protect the health of workers inadvertently exposed to tobacco smoke, so called passive smoking.
One group of workers previously exposed to smoky environments is bar staff. Researchers have measured the levels of cotinine in the saliva of a sample of bar workers. Levels of cotinine, which is a chemical marker for tobacco smoke was found to be four times lower in August than in June before the ban came in.
Assessing the air quality in 40 venues across the country, including pubs, bars and restaurants they found that levels of “fine particulates” in the air had dropped from near hazardous levels in June to levels that were similar to outdoor air in august.
Coupled with these clear health benefits, 70% of owners now say the law had a positive or no impact on their business.

For more information go to: www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/