Indoor air quality improves with restaurant smoking bans

A Michigan-wide smoking ban has led to much
better indoor air quality in restaurants, study shows.

Restaurants in Michigan are serving up much cleaner and healthier air these days.

After 18 months of a no-smoking rule, a study found a 93 percent reduction in indoor air pollution from secondhand smoke, the Michigan Department of Community Health says.

The study tested 77 restaurants from 13 cities before the law was passed, in the time between 2005 and 2008.

The cities include Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Midland, Novi, Saginaw, Sault Ste. Marie, Traverse City and West Branch.

The law came into effect on May 1, 2010, and the restaurants were then re-tested, the agency said.

The study included three casinos from Detroit. Casinos are exempt from the smoking ban, which is why the study results were not 100 percent reduction of indoor air pollutants, they say.

The agency hopes for better health outcomes because of the ban as well and plans another study to measure hospitalizations and heart problems. Another study is planned to measure the overall impact of the Smoke-Free Air Law and economic results.

Another year-long study by the American Cancer Association showed that more than 90 percent of residents support the ban.

Source: Holland Sentinel

Persistent tobacco smells can be cured with an air cleaner

The cigarettes may be gone, but the smells may still be there.

Tobacco smoke toxins have a habit of infiltrating every nook and cranny of a room, making it extremely difficult to remove odors after the fact.

An air cleaner that promises to be able to handle lingering stale tobacco smoke odors and other smells in restaurants and bars needs a complete air filter system with activated carbon and HEPA.

Activated carbon is the most efficient and affordable filtration media to adsorb chemicals, gases and odors, while HEPA is the gold standard in particle and dust filtration. Together, the filters can help keep the air clean and patrons happy and comfortable.

For more information on Electrocorp’s air cleaners for restaurants, bars and the hospitality industry as well as other customizable options, please contact Electrocorp (toll-free): 866-667-0297.
 

Don’t gamble with your health at casinos

Not everyone smokes in casinos, but most
establishments fail indoor air quality tests.

Casinos are notorious for taking gamblers’ money, but frequent gamblers and casino workers may have another thing to worry about – indoor air pollution.

A recent article in the Kansas City Star quoted health advocates from two area health organizations warning against unhealthy levels of indoor air pollution in five area casinos, especially on the floors where smoking is allowed.

In their study, the health organizations found that there’s enough smoke in the air to expose full-time casino employees to more particulate pollution than the Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for eight-hour work shifts.

Even though many cities have instituted a smoking ban in public places, bars and restaurants, casinos often receive exemptions to clean indoor air laws. That special treatment has put gaming establishments on the front lines in recent battles over whether to curb or extend legal restrictions on smoking.

Public battle, litigation over smoking laws

According to the article, casinos insist that their business relies disproportionately on smokers, while health advocates point to profitable casinos in states where smoking isn’t allowed.

Meanwhile, casino workers have sued employers over health problems, from asthma to cancer, allegedly caused by constant exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.

As the study showed, it doesn’t take a lot of cigarettes to cause a lot of pollution. Indoor air quality was deemed as unhealthy, even though just under 17 percent of the people in the casinos’ smoking areas were actively smoking.

Health effects of smoke and particulate

Fine particulate pollution can come from cigarettes, auto tailpipes and even burgers on a grill.

The tiny particles work their way into the lungs, where they cause inflammation and aggravate asthma, emphysema and other respiratory diseases.

Particulates also are suspected of contributing to heart attacks.

Cigarette smoke also contains various carcinogenic chemicals, which can affect smokers and those breathing in secondhand smoke.

Source:  Kansas City Star

Indoor air filtration systems for casinos, bars and restaurants

Electrocorp offers a wide range of indoor air cleaners for bars and restaurants, casinos and the hospitality industry.

The industrial-strength air purification systems filter out dangerous chemicals, gases, odors and particles with the deepest beds of activated carbon and most efficient HEPA filters.

Electrocorp can custom-build units for rooms, floors or spaces of any size. Contact Electrocorp directly for more information and ask about air cleaners designed to combat smoke pollution.
 
Related posts:

• Secondhand smoke in casinos a health risk, study reveals
• Why a bad smell can hurt bars and night clubs