Pubs study supports ‘smoke-free’ Commons vote
March 2006A study of 64 North West pubs supports the House of Commons vote to make all workplaces smoke-free.
The recent vote made all workplaces in England smoke-free, overturning the government’s original proposals to exempt some venues such as pubs that did not serve food.
A team of researchers from the University, Manchester Metropolitan University and Primary Care Trusts in Manchester, Bury, Burnley and Blackburn and Darwen visited 64 pubs and measured air quality in an area where smoking was allowed. They found very poor air quality with high levels of potentially harmful particles (PM2.5), particularly in pubs serving more deprived communities.
There is no UK air quality standard for PM2.5 particles. However, the average particle levels observed, particularly in less-advantaged areas, were well above levels which the US Environmental Protection Agency labels as ‘very unhealthy’ and ‘hazardous’. Average levels of particles in the pubs were about ten times higher than those typically found next to heavily trafficked roads in the UK and in four pubs were about 40 times higher.
Dr Richard Edwards, who carried out the research while at Manchester but is now at the University of Otago, New Zealand, said: “This research confirms that workers and customers in pubs are heavily exposed to pollution from passive smoking, and also shows that making workplaces smoke-free will help tackle the huge burden of ill health caused by smoking - particularly among deprived populations who tend to smoke more.”
- Full report
Details on BMC Public Health website
