Report clears the air on smoking ban in pubs

NOTHING short of a wind blowing through smoky bars or restaurants would clear the air, a damning report on the effects of smoking indoors has found.

The research is bad news for those fighting against the planned Government ban on tobacco in pubs and restaurants.

Experiments on changing tobacco-filled air in pub-like environments by Europe’s largest independent research centre in Milan show that it is almost impossible to replace it with clean air.

Many of those fighting to prevent Health Minister Micheál Martin from imposing his workplace ban in February say better ventilation is a better way to solve the smoke problem.

The minister is basing his ban on the need to protect workers’ health from the ill effects of tobacco smoke, especially side-stream cigarette smoke emitted between puffs.

About 7,000 people a year die from smoking in Ireland. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) funded by the EU put together an “indoortron” - a 30 cubic meter space set up to replicate a pub atmosphere.

Using machines that smoke cigarettes, the scientists changed the air between six and five times an hour and measured the results.

Director General of the JRC, Barry McSweeney, said they found the air was still outside the limits considered safe for humans.

“The results show that wind tunnel-like rates or other high rates of dilution ventilation would be expected to be required to achieve pollutant levels close to ambient air limit values,” the report said.

Mr McSweeney said they have invited the Irish Vintners Federation to visit the centre and see the Indoortron at work for themselves. He knew of expensive ventilation systems such as underground venting systems being installed in pubs in Ireland, but did not believe they would produce sufficiently clean air.