Study: Air hazardous in Chippewa County taverns
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By ELIZABETH HOCHSTEDLER
elizabeth.hochstedler@lee.net
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 12:06 PM CDT
Stepping into a Chippewa County tavern could be dangerous for customers’ health, a new study says.
The report, released Monday by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute in cooperation with the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center, found all but one of the western Wisconsin establishments tested which allowed smoking had unhealthy air quality levels, according to DNR standards.
Only smoke-free businesses had “good” air quality.
The establishments tested in the study included smoking and non-smoking restaurants and taverns in Chippewa, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Burnett, Polk, Pierce, Clark and Rusk counties. The three businesses tested in Chippewa County were taverns where smoking was allowed.
Data collectors used personal aerosol monitors to measure the particles in the air which could be inhaled. They tested each site for 30 minutes on one day between Feb. 15 and March 14.
The three Chippewa County sites were all visited after 9:50 p.m. on Feb. 29. Each establishment in the study was chosen by its local popularity and was visited on a Friday or Saturday evening to ensure a large amount of customers and employees.
The establishments were not identified in the report, except by county, establishment type and whether smoking was permitted.
According to the study, the DNR has set 40 micrograms of small particles per cubic meter as the maximum one should inhale in a single day, based on Environmental Protection Agency standards. A measurement of 35-56 is considered unhealthy, 141-210 is very unhealthy, and anything above 210 micrograms is considered hazardous.
The first Chippewa County tavern registered 332-408 micrograms per cubic meter. The second set 468-679, and data collectors recorded two people were smoking cigarettes during their study there. The numbers of smokers were not revealed for the other two locations.
The third location registered at 763-1463 micrograms per cubic meter — the highest pollution level of any establishment in the study. Data collectors noted people at this tavern were dancing, and health officials generally warn of too much physical activity at any level above 34 micrograms per cubic meter.
“Pollution at this level, if it was outdoors, would be considered absolutely unacceptable. People would be told to stay home, shut the doors and windows and avoid doing anything strenuous,” said Richard Thoune, Eau Claire City-County Health Officer, in a press release.
The air monitors used didn’t account for large particles, such as those from cooking or grilling.
The study indicates, “Tobacco smoke is the biggest contributing factor to the amount of fine particulate matter indoors.”
It does not, however, mention what other sources the air pollution could come from.
The research was done before the city of Eau Claire enacted its smoking ban in July.
The city of Chippewa Falls has discussed a smoking ban, but the city council is expected tonight to ratify a committee decision to wait for state action on the issue.
The Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, Division of Public Health and Wisconsin Department of Health Services funded the study.
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jollyroger wrote on Oct 10, 2008 4:40 AM:
I like carwashes. "