New environmental tobacco smoke findings make a clear case for smokefree dining
17 May 2000
Quit says new findings from the United States on the health effects of environmental tobacco smoke make the introduction of smokefree dining imperative.
The National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences report on cancer causing agents has included environmental tobacco smoke in it's latest list of 218 items known or suspected as carcinogenic.
Quit Executive Director Todd Harper says the new data makes the current moves to introduce smokefree dining even more critical.
'This is the first time environmental tobacco smoke has been listed in the Institute's Report on Carcinogens, although environmental tobacco smoke has been identified as a carcinogen by other health agencies.'
The report finds that environmental tobacco smoke is known to cause cancer in humans, with studies indicating a causal relationship between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and lung cancer in humans.
'This latest finding makes it impossible to ignore the health risks of environmental tobacco smoke.'
Mr Harper said the report's findings on elevated risks for workers in the hospitality industry should ring warning bells with the restaurant industry.
'The findings of this report are particularly worrying in regard to levels of exposure for hospitality workers; the levels of environmental tobacco smoke in restaurants were found to be between 1.6-2 times higher than other workplaces, and 1.5 times higher than residences of at least one smoker.'
'The findings on the exposure of bar staff to environmental tobacco smoke show levels up to 6 times higher than in other workplaces.'
The 9th Report on Carcinogens was produced by National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences in the United States, and can be found at http://ehis.niehs.nih.gov/roc/
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Further information:
Zoe Furman
Media Communications Manager
Quit Victoria