October 29, 2009 5:11:21 pm
Over 60 per cent of bars-cum-restaurants in the country are flouting smoke-free rules even a year after the implementation of the ban on smoking in public places,a new study has found.
The study revealing alarming facts was conducted in 211 public places such as restaurants and bars in 16 cities across 12 states/UTs to test the particulate air pollution from secondhand tobacco smoke during peak business hours and the data was compared with guidelines stipulated by World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to the Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) study,fine particle air pollution is 32 times higher than the WHO recommended guidelines for air quality in non-compliant bars-cum-restaurants.
The study reveals that in locations flouting the smoke-free law,employees and customers are at increased risk of adverse health effects,especially heart attacks,lung cancer and serious respiratory illnesses.
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On the positive side,among all the 211 places surveyed,pollution levels are 81 per cent less for smoke-free bars-cum-restaurants and as expected,the air quality was significantly better.
The provision of mandatory No Smoking signage was also found to be violated in four out of the five locations where smoking was observed.
The average level of fine particle air pollution in the five locations where smoking was observed was dangerously 18 times higher than the seven locations where no smoking was observed.
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