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Study highlights smoke risk in Oklahoma restaurants

 
BY SUSAN SIMPSON | Published: February 13, 2010    Comment on this article Leave a comment

Tobacco smoke pollution in Oklahoma City-area restaurants and bars is extremely hazardous and far exceeds Environmental Protection Agency air quality standards, according to a report released by the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center at the OU Cancer Institute.

photo - Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Oklahoma City is among restaurants that created smoking rooms to comply with Oklahoma law. But a new report suggests smoking rooms provide little protection for workers or customers. Photo by David McDaniel, Oklahoman Archive
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Oklahoma City is among restaurants that created smoking rooms to comply with Oklahoma law. But a new report suggests smoking rooms provide little protection for workers or customers. Photo by David McDaniel, Oklahoman Archive

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The center looked at tobacco smoke levels in 67 Oklahoma City-area restaurant smoking rooms and bars, and found that even restaurants with smoke ventilators had pollution levels harmful to workers and patrons.

The smoke was measured as particulate pollution, which the EPA ranks as hazardous at levels of 151-250 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The particulate level averaged 380 micrograms in restaurant smoking rooms tested by the center, and 655 micrograms in bars.

Dr. Robert McCaffree, co-director of the tobacco center, said researchers knew secondhand smoke was hazardous, but were surprised that pollution levels were so high.

Ventilators don’t offer much protection, he said. He encouraged all restaurants and bars to go smoke-free.

"It places the workers at great risk,” he said. "To ignore the health of so many people, including the workers and the patrons, is really irresponsible.

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Related Topics: Health and Fitness, Nature and the Environment, Health Care Issues, Environmental Public Health, Environmental Issues and Protection, Smoking and Tobacco Use, Public Health



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