Study: Bar workers breathe easier after smoking ban [View All]

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06283/728869-100.stm

Bar workers in a Scottish city felt better and could breathe easier just one month after the country outlawed smoking in enclosed public places.

Researchers led by Dr. Daniel Menzies, of the University of Dundee, surveyed waitstaff about their symptoms and measured their lung capacity, airway inflammation and other indicators of respiratory health before and after the implementation of a smoking ban in March 2006.

The new policy led to a "rapid and marked improvement" in the workers' health, the researchers said. Their findings are in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

"As the evidence mounts, more and more people are beginning to introduce these bans to protect not only the public at large, but also people at work," Dr. Menzies said.

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Before the bars became smoke-free, 79 percent of workers had respiratory or other symptoms. That number dropped by a quarter after one month and a third after two months of the smoking prohibition.

I posted this because I'm always amazed at the number of DU'ers who take exception to smoking bans and even argue that workers in bars should get another job if they don't want to be exposed to smoke. Besides the patrons, I think it should also be about the workers - not everyone can find another job. Smokers can take their habit outside. Also a local issue in my county since we got a freshly signed smoking ban now but the county executive wants to exempt bars with 30% or less in food sales.