TOBACCO SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES (RESTAURANTS, BARS, PUBS, TAVERNS, CASINOS etc.)

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TOBACCO SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES (RESTAURANTS,
BARS, PUBS, TAVERNS, CASINOS etc.) By Abednego
Baker
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BACKGROUND

• Current legislation (Reg Gazette No. 6895,
  R975 of 2000) permits the person in control of
  a public area to designate part of the public
  area as a smoking area and requires such person
  to control smoking such that the rest of the
  public place is not affected
• Tobacco smoke in these areas are poorly
  controlled resulting in exposure to occupants
  in non-smoking areas

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BACKGROUND CONT

• Few of these areas in RSA use controlling
  strategies (engineering) while most rely on
  non- controlled ventilation (natural
  ventilation)
• Hierarchy of control
• Elimination
• Control
• Engineering
• Administrative
• PPE

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THE PROBLEM

• These smoking areas are serviced by waiters
  who serve food and drinks
• The waiters are often part-time, young and
  vulnerable most of whom are students the
  culture of non-smoking should begin with the
  youth
• There are no measures in place to protect these
  employees from exposure to tobacco smoke in the
  smoking areas
• Tobacco Products Control Amendment Act
  Regulation R.975 vs. OHSA

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THE PROBLEM CONT

• Smoke in these areas escape to the
  non- smoking areas
• Studies have shown that occupants in the
  non-smoking areas are exposed to tobacco smoke
  from the smoking areas
• Finish Institute of OH Nicotine
  concentrations of up to 15.2 µg/m3 were
  measured in the smoking area and 2.9-3 µg/m3
  were measured in the smoke- free section
• Institute of Env Health, Uni Vienna Highest
  nicotine concentration in smoking area was 487.1
  µg/m3 and in the smoke-free area 15.9-23.3
  µg/m3

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RECOMMENDATION

• All workplaces should be 100 smoke-free
• Smoke-free policies improve Air Quality and
  Reduce the risk of secondhand smoke exposure
• No riskfree level of exposure to secondhand
  smoke (carcinogens)
• Ventilation systems cannot remove secondhand
  smoke from indoor environments - American
  Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
  Air Conditioning Engineers

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RECOMMENDATION CONT

• These systems can distribute secondhand smoke
  throughout a building
• Can remove large particles, but not the
  smaller particles or the gases found in
  secondhand smoke

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RECOMMENDATION CONT

• Smoke-free policies economic impact
• A study by Texas Department of Health (TDH)
  and US Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention (CDC) to assess whether tobacco ban
  affected restaurants and bar revenues in El
  Paso, Texas revealed that no statistically
  significant changes in restaurant and bar
  revenues occurred

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RECOMMENDATION CONT
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RECOMMENDATION CONT

• Another study was conducted in 15 California
  cities by Stanton et al revealed that
  smoke-free ordinances do not adversely affect
  either restaurant or bar sales
• A similar study in West Lake Hills,
  Texas produced similar results
• International perspective
• About 18 States in America have banned smoking
  in public places, especially restaurants and
  bars
• Other countries like Norway, Scotland have
  also banned smoking in public places

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CONCLUSION

• TOBACCO SMOKE CANNOT BE CONTROLLED, THEREFORE
  SMOKING SHOULD BE BANNED IN PUBLIC PLACES