You might buy only organic produce, or closely regulate the amount of saturated fat you eat—but did you realize that your workplace might undo all the good you’ve done to stay healthy?

Although recent legislature in many states has cut back on the number of bars that allow patrons to smoke indoors, especially within city limits, there are still many businesses that remain unaffected.

Part of the push to limit smoking in public buildings is based on new research that shows just how rapidly secondhand smoke impacts the health of a non-smoker. In the past, the effect that a burning cigarette had on a nearby non-smoker was not assumed to be a major health concern—but only a small amount of investigation revealed the truth.

Many of the same illness and impairments experienced by smokers were often shared by non smokers who either shared home or workplace with someone who smoked regularly. In fact, in a way, non-smokers took the brunt of the habit’s deadly aftermath. The reason for this lies in the fact that two types of smoke are produced from the same cigarette. 

The variety of smoke that is inhaled through the cigarette and into the lungs of the smoker is known as mainstream smoke.

 The second variety is known as sidestream smoke—this is the smoke that comes straight from the burning end of the cigarette.

Mainstream smoke benefits slightly from a filter, if one is present on the cigarette—but the main reason that mainstream smoke if far less harsh than sidestream is because it is inhaled. The act of drawing the smoke through the cigarette causes the burning cigarette to burn hotter—just like how fanning a flame will make a fire flare up. Burning at a hotter temperature actually purges the smoke to a degree. This runs on the same principal that is utilized in the burning of garbage—facilities that are set up to burn refuse make sure that garbage is incinerated at a very high temperature to ensure that all of the more hazardous byproducts of burning are avoided.

Mainstream smoke burns hotter, and therefore “cleaner” than side stream smoke. Amazingly more than 80% of the smoke produced by a lit cigarette is sidestream. The most recent research also shows that nicotine and NKK (A chemical carcinogen found in cigarette smoke) from second hand smoke is absorbed by the body much more quickly than was previously surmised. Working typical night shift, an employee can expect to gradually accumulate higher levels of NKK as the night progresses. Apparently, with each passing hour, the levels of NKK in the body are 6% higher.

This study makes it clear that there is no “safe” amount of secondhand smoke—spending a single night at a bar, restaurant or casino could cause problems in the same manner that spending years working in such an environment can kill. It same seem like a strong word to use, but it is the truth: second hand smoke exposure can kill you.

In the state of Pennsylvania alone, it is estimated that from those non-smoking individuals employed in casinos this year, 1,771 of them will die as a result of second smoke related disease.

At this point, the best way to help protect employees and patrons while accommodating smoking customers is to optimize existing ventilation and smoke removal filters with newer, more powerful units that can handle the extra pollution created during busy hours.

For a free smoke removal report, visit My Air Purifier’s smoke removal page.