7 City Air Monitoring Study (7CAM), March-April 2004

Publication Date:

Publisher: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Flight

Author(s): A. Hyland; M. Travers; J. Repace

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Abstract:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that secondhand smoke causes 35,000 heart disease deaths a year in the United States and that children exposed to secondhand smoke are especially vulnerable, suffering more asthma, bronchitis, ear infections and other ailments. In the context of this accumulating evidence of the harm caused by exposure to secondhand smoke, researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., conducted a comparative study of indoor air quality in bars and restaurants. The study collected indoor air quality data from 53 bars and restaurants, comparing three cities with smoke-free laws (New York City, Buffalo and Los Angeles) with four cities that do not have smoke-free laws (Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore and Hoboken, N.J.). To receive an accurate representation, researchers visited a minimum of three bars and three restaurants in at least two popular entertainment districts in each of the seven cities. Most sampling was performed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings between 6:00 PM and 3:00 AM and included state-of-the-art air pollution monitors to measure levels of fine particulate air pollution. The study found that air pollution levels were 82 percent lower on average in venues required by law to be smoke-free compared to those where smoking was permitted. In cities without smoke-free laws, full-time bar and restaurant employees are exposed on the job to more than four times the average annual limits of fine particulate air pollution recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This study is the largest of its type ever conducted to measure the impact of smoke-free laws on the indoor air quality of restaurants and bars. It provides powerful evidence that smoke-free laws protect workers and patrons from the harmful air pollutants in secondhand smoke.