Tobacco
industry promoted “ineffective” ventilation systems
Newswise — Newly released
documents reveal that, despite knowing that ventilation
and air filtration are ineffective at removing
environmental tobacco smoke, British American Tobacco
(BAT) promoted these technologies to the hospitality
industry as viable options to smoking bans.
Writing in this week’s
BMJ, researchers argue that a total ban on smoking in
public places is the only way to protect all employees
from environmental tobacco smoke.
The documents show
that, although BAT concluded that the air filtration
units were only 34% efficient at removing particulate
matter from tobacco smoke, it continued to install units
worldwide. According to BAT scientist, Nigel Warren, the
company’s interest in air filtration was primarily, “To
negate the need for indoor smoking bans around the world
…”
BAT targeted the
hospitality industry by pushing a so-called “smoker
resocialisation” initiative, which aimed to portray
smoking in a “more positive and stylish context” and to
lobby against smoke-free public places.
In June 2000, BAT also
installed “smoking tables” designed to suck tobacco
smoke down through a filter and re-circulate the
partially filtered smoke out into the room again. But,
even if the technology was improved from earlier
filtration units, the tables would be ineffective
because isolation of the source or the worker are the
only control measures that yield air quality that is
safe to breathe, write the authors.
In November 2004, the
UK government published proposals to end smoking in most
workplaces and public places, but with exemptions for
private clubs and pubs that do not serve food.
The public health
community should reject these proposals, say the
authors. Without a comprehensive smoke-free workplace
law, the tobacco and hospitality industries can continue
to mislead the public about the hazards of exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke by promoting separate
seating, ventilation, and air filtration as viable
options to smoking bans.
This will do nothing
to reduce the risk of lung cancer among employees.
All workers deserve to
work in smoke-free environments. The United Kingdom
should follow the lead of countries such as Bhutan,
Cuba, Ireland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, and Norway in
legislating for a total ban on smoking in public places,
they conclude.