FAST TRACK ARTICLE Respirable Particles and Carcinogens in the Air of Delaware Hospitality Venues Before and After a Smoking Ban

How do the concentrations of indoor air pollutants known to increase risk of respiratory disease, cancer, heart disease, and stroke change after a smoke-free workplace law? Real-time measurements were made of respirable particle (RSP) air pollution and particulate polycyclic aro-matic hydrocarbons (PPAH), in a casino, six bars, and a pool hall before and after a smoking ban. Secondhand smoke contributed 90 % to 95 % of the RSP air pollution during smoking, and 85 % to 95 % of the carcinogenic PPAH, greatly exceeding levels of these contaminants encountered on major truck highways and polluted city streets. This air-quality survey demonstrates conclusively that the health of hospital-ity workers and patrons is endangered by tobacco smoke pollution. Smoke-free workplace laws eliminate that hazard and provide health protection impossible to achieve through ventilation or air cleaning. (J Occup Environ Med. 2004;46:887–905) S econdhand smoke (SHS), ie, indoorair pollution from tobacco combus-tion, has been condemned as a healthhazard by all US occupational health, environmental health, and public health authorities, and smoking has been prohibited in all federal work-places.1–8 Nevertheless, because of repeated Congressional admonitions that SHS is an issue best handled by the States, for the last decade, US federal regulatory agencies have been actively discouraged from fur-ther rulemaking or research efforts to protect private-sector workers and the public. However, the States have been slow to take action, especially in the hospitality industry sector. Maryland Occupational Safety and Health banned smoking in all work-places in 1994, but in 1995, the State legislature overrode the rule before it took effect, exempting bars and res-taurant bars, apparently in the belief that hospitality industry workers did not warrant the same protection from SHS as other workers. In 1995, Cal-ifornia banned smoking in all restau-rants and other workplaces and in 1998 extended the ban to include all bars. Delaware’s bar ban was passe