Exploring the potential for the drift of secondhand smoke from outdoor to indoor dining areas of restaurants in New Zealand
Frederieke S van der Deen, Amber L Pearson, Darko Petrovi\u0107, Lucie Collinson
In this study, we examined the potential for secondhand smoke (SHS) to drift from outdoor restaurant dining areas to the nearby indoor areas via open windows and doors. To do this, we measured air particles of a specific size (PM2.5) known to relate to tobacco smoke and known to cause health problems. Although SHS has been studied in other settings in New Zealand such as bars and caf\u00e9s, we believe it is important to study SHS in restaurants for the following reasons: 1) more children may be exposed in restaurant settings, and 2) there is the potential for a longer duration of SHS exposure throughout the course of a meal, rather than while just having a beverage. We measured PM2.5 (small particulate matter in the air) in the outdoor dining areas (where smoking is permitted), and in the indoor areas (where smoking is banned), and (where possible) as far indoors away from the outdoor area in a total of eight restaurants in Wellington City to make comparisons.
