Bar smoke a risk for workers, study finds

By MONIQUE DEVEREUX health reporter

Restaurant and bar staff are exposed to almost seven times the level of secondary cigarette smoke as their counterparts working in "smoke-free" environments.

That statistic, revealed in a study financed by the University of Otago and anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health and published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, has alarmed lobbyists seeking a law banning smoking in all bars and restaurants.

Secondary smoke has been proven to be almost as dangerous over time as active smoking, and can cause lung cancer, heart disease and breathing difficulties.

Action on Smoking and Health director Trish Fraser says an across-the-board smoke-free rule would bring New Zealand into line with Australia and the US, where some states have introduced such policies.

New Zealand smoke-free legislation prohibits smoking in most workplaces.

But restaurants need designate only half of their available seating as smoke-free, and bars and nightclubs are exempt.

The study surveyed mostly non-smoking staff from 62 bars and restaurants in Auckland and Wellington.

It measured the levels of nicotine in their hair samples.

The results showed levels in non-smokers working where there were no smoking restrictions were similar to those of active smokers. That is unacceptable, says Trish Fraser.