Global study finds Ireland has some of the cleanest pubs in the world
PRESS RELEASE
Issue Date: Thursday, 16 March 2006
GLOBAL STUDY FINDS IRELAND
HAS SOME OF THE CLEANEST PUBS IN THE WORLD
Harvard Study Finds Irish
Pubs Under Smoke-free Law in Ireland Show 91%
Lower Indoor Air
Pollution Than "Irish Pubs" in Cities Around the
World
Thursday, 16 March - A study of air pollution levels in
traditional "Irish pubs" around the world has found that indoor air
pollution from second hand smoke in authentic Irish pubs in Ireland
is 91 percent lower than in "Irish pubs" located in other countries
and cities where smoke-free laws do not apply.
The study - conducted by researchers from Harvard School of
Public Health (HSPH) and Roswell Park Cancer Institute in
conjunction with the Office of Tobacco Control, the Research
Institute for a Tobacco Free Society and the Environmental Health
Department in the Health Service Executive Western Area - assessed
air samples from 128 "Irish pubs" in 15 countries in North America,
Europe, Australia and Asia.
Dr Patrick Doorley, Board member of the Office and HSE National
Director of Population Health, said, "Understandably, we're
delighted with the results of this study. It's ironic that
virtually every major city in the world has an 'Irish pub' but only
those in Ireland and a handful of other cities primarily in North
America have clean, healthy air. There is no reason why
workers around the world should not expect the same protection from
the harmful effects of second hand smoke which workers in Ireland
have been enjoying for nearly two years now.
The Irish law has already brought health benefits to the public
as early research indicators are highlighting. Its successful
implementation and enforcement is encouraging to other countries
who intend to follow suit, including most recently our closest
neighbours in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and we
would encourage other countries to do likewise."
"The study demonstrates that national and local smoking policies
can dramatically improve indoor air quality," said HSPH's Professor
Gregory N. Connolly, who led the research team.
"There are no safe limits to second hand smoke, and simply
segregating smokers and non-smokers in indoor spaces is of no
use. Although many nations pass laws on second hand smoke,
some do not implement them. Ireland has clearly shown that an
indoor smoking ban can be accomplished through education,
enforcement and political will. While people are celebrating
St. Patrick's Day across the globe, some will celebrate in healthy
environments and others in not-so-healthy environments. It's
time we made second hand smoke global history."
Testing sites included 41 smoke-free Irish pubs in Ireland, the
U.S. and Canada and 87 smoking-permitted Irish pubs located in
Armenia, Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Greece, France,
Lebanon, Northern Ireland, Poland, Romania, U.S. and England.
Irish pubs were defined as those that served Irish beer on tap and
had an Irish name (e.g. Murphy's, O'Donnell's) or a visible
statement that the venue was an Irish pub.
Maurice Mulcahy, Principal Environmental Health Officer in the
Health Service Executive Galway, who led the study fieldwork in
Ireland and the United Kingdom, said, "The Irish pubs in London,
Manchester, Belfast and Newry were on average 13 times more
polluted than those in Galway, Dublin, Cork and Ennis. The
results are dramatic, for example, in Galway the levels of the
small particles measured in pubs averaged 18 whereas in Belfast
these were 353, in Newry 400 and in London 296. The highest
recorded levels were in Lyon where a figure of 1,051 was recorded,
some 37 times more polluted than the average level recorded in pubs
in the Republic of Ireland."
Professor Luke Clancy, Director General of the Research
Institute for a Tobacco Free Society explained, "Second hand smoke
is a major source of respirable suspended particles (RSPs). A
specific class of RSPs known as PM2.5, particulate
matter less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter, is composed
of extremely small particles that can be inhaled deeply into the
lung and pose dangerous health effects. The fact that there
are "Irish pubs" scattered around the globe provided the perfect
sample for measuring the differences in RSP levels in these
pubs.
Professor Clancy said that the results of today's study further
emphasise results of studies conducted in Ireland since the
introduction of the smoke-free workplace law, including a study of
40 pubs in Dublin which recorded a reduction in smaller particles
of 84% since the law was introduced.
He added, "The success of the iconic "Irish Pub" brand is
grounded in its authenticity. The challenge now to "Irish
Pubs" throughout the world on St. Patrick's Day is to remain
faithful to the reality of pubs in Ireland and become
smoke-free."
Among the Irish pubs surveyed worldwide, the PM2.5
level averaged 23 µg/m3 for smoke-free pubs while
averaging 340 µg/m3 for pubs where smoking was
permitted. In the Republic of Ireland, the average
PM2.5 level was 28 µg/m3 in comparison to the
highest average level of small particle pollution at 1051
µg/m3 found in an Irish pub in Lyon, France.
Notably high levels were also measured in Irish pubs in Hoboken,
N.J.; Charleroi, Belgium; Athens, Greece; Beirut, Lebanon and
Torun, Poland.
The study How Smoke-free Laws Improve Air Quality: A
Global Study of Irish Pubs will be presented at a
live webcast featuring Irish health authorities
and US researchers on Thursday, March 16 at 5.30pm at this web
address: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/irish_pubs/
A copy of the study is available on HSPH's website,
www.hsph.harvard.edu
ENDS
Notes to the Editor:
This study was conducted by researchers from Harvard School of
Public Health (HSPH) and Roswell Park Cancer Institute in
conjunction with the Office of Tobacco Control, the Research
Institute for a Tobacco Free Society and the Environmental Health
Department in the Health Service Executive Western Area.
Support for this report was also provided by the Flight Attendant
Medical Research Institute.
There are limitations to this study. First, convenience
samples of Irish pubs and locations were used and thus, findings
may not be representative of all Irish pubs. Second, testing
did not control for ventilation or smoke that may have migrated
from outdoors where smokers tend to smoke. Third, second hand
smoke is not the only source of indoor levels of PM2.5
and other sources such as ambient particle concentrations, cooking,
and migration of smoke from outside could contribute to overall
levels of indoor air pollution. The researchers said that they
would expect, however, that other sources would be present in both
smoke-free and smoking-permitted pubs and thus, differences in
average PM2.5 are largely attributable to second hand
smoke.
Second hand smoke;
Second hand smoke exposure remains a major public health concern
that is entirely preventable. Second hand smoke is a recognized
human carcinogen containing at least 250 chemicals that are known
to be toxic or carcinogenic, and is responsible for an estimated
3,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the U.S. among people who have
never smoked as well as more than 25,000 deaths annually from
coronary heart disease in never smokers, plus respiratory
infections, asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other
illnesses in children.
Dangers of second hand smoke exposure are highest among
restaurant and bar workers whose workplaces typically are not
regulated for air quality and who have some of the highest lung
cancer rates of any occupation.
Respirable suspended particles (RSPs);
In order to protect public health, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has set limits of 15µg/m3 as the
average allowable annual exposure level and 65 µg/m3for
any 24-hour exposure.
Airborne particles (including a specific class of RSPs known as
PM2.5) are the main constituents of tobacco smoke
containing chemicals known to be harmful to health.
Global smoke-free laws;
Many US states and countries have implemented policies for
smoke-free workplaces including restaurants and pubs. The
countries that currently have indoor smoking bans that cover pubs
include:
Europe; Ireland, Malta, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Scotland
(upcoming), England (effective 2007) and Northern Ireland
(effective 2007);
United States and Canada; California, Connecticut, Delaware,
Maine, Montana (2009), New Jersey (April, 2006), New York,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Utah (2009), Vermont, Washington,
Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
The Washington, D.C. law will extend to cover bars in January,
2007. Many US states have adopted local smoke-free
laws. As of January 2006, 28 percent of the US population was
covered by local or state-wide smoke-free bar laws, and almost 40
percent of the population was covered by any smoke-free law (i.e.
workplace, restaurant, bar).
In Canada, a number of provinces have enacted smoke free
laws.
And other parts of the world including;
Bhutan, New Zealand and Uruguay.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention
Alliance for Tobacco Control (FCTC) calls on governments to protect
all persons from exposure to tobacco smoke, rather than just
specific populations such as children or pregnant women (Guiding
Principle 4.1). This protection should be extended, according
to Article 8.2, in indoor workplaces, public transport, indoor
public places and other public places.