Clean Indoor Air Policies don’t affect the Smokers’ Jobs
Published on May 29, 2009 4:56 AM
Bans on smoking do not lead to a reduction in hospitality jobs, U.S. researchers found. They added that smoking bans do not let trigger job losses even in bars and restaurants.
Fifteen states and Puerto Rico have comprehensive laws prohibiting smoking in the workplace, restaurants and bars, the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation said.
Not all the people are agree with the smoking ban. A smoker reported: "I would agree with restaurants, enclosed public areas and the like should be smoke tobacco free in general, but pubs and clubs should be given the choice to choose whether they wish to be a Smoking Establishment or not, and then subject to regulations concerning the ventilation of these establishments and this could be derived through specific determinations made from regulations."
Elizabeth Klein, assistant professor of Health Behavior and Health Promotion at Ohio State University, has found that even the most comprehensive clean indoor air policies do not lead to a reduction in jobs.
Elizabeth and her colleagues examined employment trends over three years in eight Minnesota cities with different types of clean indoor air policies and two cities with no laws restricting smoking.
The researchers revealed that of the policies examined by them, some were complete bans which prohibited smoking in all workplaces, while others banned smoking in most public places and businesses, but in exempted bars too.
While previous studies have also evaluated economic effects of smoking bans in many individual communities, Elizabeth reported also that her team’s study is the first to compare the economic effects of different levels of clean indoor air policies in multiple cities.
She said: "In the end we can say there isn’t an important economic effect by type of clean indoor air policy, which should give us more support for provide the most favorable public health policies. The public health benefit clearly comes from a comprehensive policy where all employees are protected from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke".
She hopes that the findings of this study will factor into future disputes within municipalities and states considering the economic and health issues nearby smoking-ban suggestions.
