With so many states in the US enforcing indoor smoke-free acts, there was bound to be research done on the effects of secondhand smoke since. Now, smokers have moved to outdoor areas.  The problem with this is these outdoor areas sometimes are common places for people to spend extending periods of time.  Some include outdoor dining, decks, patios,and designated smoking areas outside of buildings. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended exposure for ultra-fine particles,a study they conducted went beyond the limit “dozens of times outdoors” sometimes reaching 20 times higher.” Who would have thought in the open air outside that the levels could reach that high? Usually you would think if you smoke indoors it just lingers and you are directly inhaling it. Now do we have to worry about outdoors just as much as well? The study was initiated to show the differences and improvement before and after than bans but the results were surprising to many.  By installing devices in several outdoor venues and monitoring over time, the WHO came up with interesting results on  the air particles. The good news is the indoor levels decreased by 96%!

For the full report and other smoking policy publications visit the World Health Organization’s website for more information.

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