Smoking
In today’s blog, we’ll be discussing some pretty shocking findings which researchers at Stanford University have recorded. A group of environmental engineers have documented high levels of smoke in 36 casinos based in California. The research found that smoke levels in the majority of the Californian casinos often exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standards for smoke particles, which are an average of 35 particles per metre over a 24 hour period. The researchers, whose report was published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, found that most casinos exceeded this amount, with some featuring air pollution which exceeded the smoke concentration of outdoor air.
The report also found that many non-smoking areas also failed to protect health-conscious patrons from excessive levels of smoke particles. The environmental engineers revealed that while just 10 of the 36 casinos where smoking was legal had non-smoking areas, those which lacked walls between the different areas of the casino had smoke particle concentration in non-smoking areas which surpassed the concentration levels of outdoor air by six times. The researchers also reported that the non-smoking areas often lacked the same attractions as the rest of the casino, meaning patrons would have to venture back into smoking areas in order to make full use of the casino’s games. The research has been bolstered by an earlier report in 2008, which found that 85% of patrons would prefer it if California’s casinos were smoke free. Given the health risks, it may be that new legislation is introduced with regards to smoking laws in California. We’d like to hear your thoughts on smoking in casinos, so please do leave us a comment by filling in the form below.
