Air Quality in Indiana has Significantly Improved Following Smoke-Free Air Laws

Two years after a statewide smoke free law went into effect, a new study reveals workers in Indiana restaurants are breathing easier. The decline in fine particles in the air proved dramatic, with an 85 percent drop in pollutants. Particles released from burning cigarettes can be easily inhaled into the lungs and cause severe cardiovascular and respiratory problems.

University of Southern Indiana Professor Mark Krahling conducted the study in 33 bars and restaurants throughout the state, before and after the statewide smoke-free air ban was implemented. In Indiana hospitality venues that allowed smoking before the law, the average level of indoor air pollution in Indiana was 64 micrograms per cubic meter. The post-law level was measured at 11 micrograms per cubic meter. The shift indicates a substantial change in ensuring the safety and protection of Indiana workers.

"What we see in this study is that, before the law, restaurant and bar workers in Indiana were exposed to harmful levels of secondhand smoke," said Dr. Mark Krahling, professor at the University of Southern Indiana and co-author of the study in an interview with the Salem Leader. "With the enactment of the statewide law, air quality has significantly improved in the venues that are now smoke-free, which will protect the health of both workers and patrons. However, bar workers remain unprotected from secondhand smoke."