A study of the Ministry of Health revealed that the air pollution level in smoking areas of public eateries exceeds a lot the norms set by the World Health Organization. The study covered 25 Chisinau eateries, IPN reports.
In 10 of the inspected places, the visitors smoke freely, while another 10 places have smoking and non-smoking areas. In five places smoking is banned. Employees of the National Public Health Center monitored the quality of air during 30 minutes in every place. The air samples were taken in rush hours, when there were the largest numbers of clients.
The lab results showed that the most polluted air is in the places where they smoke freely. The concentration of noxious powder exceeded 19 times the norm set by the WHO for 24 hours. Only the air in the five eateries where smoking is banned met the norms.
In the meeting of the National Tobacco Control Coordination Council, Deputy Minister of Health Svetlana Cotelea said the employees of the places where smoking is allowed are the most exposed to risks, even if there are ventilation systems. Also, the cigarette smoke from smoking areas penetrates into non-smoking areas.
The World Health Organization’s recommendations in this respect include the adoption of national legislation to fully ban smoking in public places and in open-type workplaces, including restaurants and recreational places.
