Bar workers face serious risk from passive smoking

Bar workers face serious risk from passive smoking Bar workers take in amounts of environmental tobacco smoke over 10 times higher than the average non-smoker. Professor Martin Jarvis, from University College London, measured the levels of exposure to passive smoking amongst London’s non-smoking bar workers. He found they were subject to 'extremely high exposure' to smoke. Bar workers were about 40 times more likely to have a high exposure than non-smokers from non-smoking households, and nine times more likely than non-smokers who live with a smoking partner.

Researchers took saliva samples from the bar workers to detect the levels of cotinine, which indicates exposure to nicotine. Professor Jarvis’ evidence will form part of the SmokeFree London submission to the Greater London Assembly’s 5 December session of the Investigative Committee into Smoking in Public Places.
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