Study finds second-smoke a risk even on patios; advocates push for ban
Posted Aug 3, 2013 02:26:10 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREAL – Anti-tobacco advocates are using a new Quebec study to make the case for a smoking ban on outdoor patios.
A researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland found harmful levels of second-hand smoke in a survey of Montreal bar patios.
Ryan Kennedy says the concentration of smoke was comparable to a smoggy day in Los Angeles or an area near a forest fire.
Kennedy says the tests show that second-hand smoke can be harmful even outdoors, on a windy day.
Quebec’s anti-tobacco coalition says the tests show a ban is needed to protect bar patrons and staff.
Several provinces have already banned smoking on patios, including Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Alberta.
Yukon has also introduced a ban, along with a number of municipalities across the country.
