96% Decline in Air Pollution Levels After the Effect of Indoor Smoking Ban in New Orleans

After six months in effect of indoor smoking ban, a poll has been conducted to know whether the people of New Orleans approve of the law prohibiting smoking inside all workplaces, including bars and casinos, after six months.The poll indicates that support for the law has increased as NOLA residents have experienced the benefits of a smoke-free environment. Nearly 8 out of 10 New Orleans voters support the new law, including 64 percent who strongly favor it. Support for the law has increased from 66 percent in December 2014 to 78 percent now.

NOLA residents said that smoke-free bars and casinos are healthier and more enjoyable.Nearly nine out of ten voters (89 percent) agree that smoke-free bars and casinos are healthier for customers and employees and 85 percent agree that “it has been really nice to go out and enjoy bars and casinos without breathing cigarette smoke or smelling like cigarette smoke” when they get home.

Results revealed that indoor air pollution levels having fallen dramatically in bars and the city’s casino since the smoke-free law took effect. The level of fine particle air pollution fell by 96 percent in venues that had previously allowed smoking, and it was virtually eliminated in the casino, where there was a 99 percent reduction.

The U.S. Surgeon General has found that secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, serious respiratory illnesses, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The Surgeon General has also found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the United States each year, there is no safe level of exposure, and only smoke-free laws provide effective protection.

The citywide survey of 500 registered voters was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and SmokeFree NOLA coalition. The poll was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Source-Medindia