Enclosed Smoking Rooms
Enclosed Smoking Rooms Do Not Work
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the international standard setting body that sets the standard for indoor air quality, states that ventilation does not eliminate the health dangers posed by secondhand smoke and that smoking does not belong indoors. The science is clear – enclosed smoking rooms do not work.
Researchers from the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and College of Public Health, University of Louisville, and Norton Hospital measured the air quality in one Louisville venue that had an enclosed smoking room that was initially allowed by law.
The air pollution was essentially the same in both areas (see Figure), showing that enclosed smoking area provisions do not work to protect workers or patrons. After Louisville’s law was strengthened, air quality improved dramatically.
Everyone Deserves to Breathe Clean Air
When smoke-free laws allow exemptions for enclosed smoking rooms, workers must still enter these rooms to serve patrons and clean the area. Only 100% comprehensive smoke-free ordinances and regulations that do not allow for enclosed smoking rooms protect ALL workers and patrons’ health.
