Outdoor smoking

SCMP

I refer to the report “Pedestrians complain of fumes from outdoor areas where smoking allowed” (July 13).

Smoke Terminators’ Society chairwoman Betty Kwan Ka-mei said it was unfair to non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. What about the rights of the smoking population?

We now have smoke-free buildings, parks and beaches, and, since July 1, smoke-free bars and clubs. Where are smokers supposed to go? At least we are able to keep to the designated areas and street corners.

The report referred to a designated area in Wan Chai: Gloucester Road Garden. I am sorry if the smoke seems concentrated, but that is what happens when the smoking population congregates in segregated areas.

Did people who have voiced their concerns think the smoking population of Hong Kong consisted of only a few thousand people?

I am always hearing about the damage of second-hand smoke but have yet to see a study comparing the effects of second-hand smoke to the effects of vehicular pollution in a densely populated city with heavy traffic like Hong Kong. When I am on the pavements I cannot be sure which is stronger, the smell of cigarette smoke or the exhaust fumes of the city’s traffic.

Ken Wong, Happy Valley

http://www.smh.com.au/national/more-councils-introduce-smokefree-outdoor-areas-20090721-ds4f.html

http://www.smh.com.au/

Louise Hall Health Reporter

THE number of councils in NSW that have introduced smoke-free outdoor areas has more than doubled in the past two years, a Heart Foundation survey has found.

The figures, published today, show 58 of 152 NSW councils had banned smoking in areas such as playgrounds, swimming pools and alfresco-dining areas by May, up from 28 councils in 2007.

The implementation of smoke-free outdoor areas has been higher in metropolitan municipalities, with 65 per cent of 43 councils introducing the bans, compared with 28 per cent of 109 regional councils.

Warringah, Wollongong City, Camden, Hurstville and Port Stephens are the latest councils to approve a smoke-free policy in council-owned outdoor areas.

The Heart Foundation says there is emerging evidence that secondhand smoke in outdoor areas where people tend to congregate,including alfresco-dining areas, sports stadiums and concert venues, can present a health risk to the public and staff.

A recent study of cigarette smoke levels in a variety of outdoor locations showed that a person sitting near a smoker in an outdoor area could be exposed to levels of cigarette smoke similar to those experienced by someone sitting in an indoor pub or club.

There is also evidence to suggest that smoke-free areas support smokers who are trying to quit as well as reduce their overall cigarette consumption.

The chief executive of the Heart Foundation, Tony Thirlwell, said there had been some resistance to the idea in some councils, but complacency was the largest factor in more NSW councils failing to follow suit.

“In the councils which have implemented the policy, there’s largely been a particular councillor that’s felt strongly about the issue and been an advocate for it,” he said.

Of the 58 councils with smoke-free policies, 95 per cent cover playgrounds, making this the most common smoke-free area. Sporting fields (78 per cent), pools (26 per cent), beaches (17 per cent) and alfresco-dining areas (16 per cent) were included to various degrees.

“While there are fines for breaching the policy, we’re not into policing, such as getting council rangers to hunt out smokers,” MrThirlwell said.

“But we do hope it raises awareness in the community, so that people walk away from others if they want to smoke.”

Ng Yuk-hang – SCMP

A smokers’ haven in Wan Chai is proving to be a non-smoker’s nightmare, with many complaining they are assailed by second-hand smoke despite being in the open air.

Surrounded by three government buildings – Immigration Tower, Revenue Tower and Wanchai Tower – Gloucester Road Garden is a designated smoking area administered by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Cheung Mei-ping, who walks past the garden every day, says the smoke is so thick she fears it may affect her health. “Sometimes the smell is so strong that I must make a detour,” Ms Cheung, who works in the nearby Shui On Centre, said.

A Ms Lam, who also works nearby, said it was “unwise” to put a smoking area there and it would be better to let smokers indulge their habit by the sea. “At least the wind is stronger there,” she said.

But smokers described the garden as their last refuge. “Now we can’t even smoke in bars. Smokers and non-smokers should be more considerate of each other,” a Mr Chan said.

Asked if she agreed that the lingering smoke was an annoyance to non-smokers, a Ms Ma said: “Cars on the road also generate exhaust gas, they are also hazardous to health.”

Smoke Terminators’ Society chairwoman Betty Kwan Ka-mei said the area was virtually an enclosed smoking room with only an open roof. “The skyscrapers nearby block the smoke and create a chimney effect,” she said. “The smoke concentration is quite high and can be quite hazardous.”

She cited a study that found inhaling second-hand smoke in an enclosed room for an hour is equivalent to smoking a packet of cigarettes.

Gloucester Road Garden was not the only place where smoke lingered in the air, Dr Kwan said. She had seen patients smoking outside many hospitals, and office workers puffing near shopping malls.

“It is crazy,” she said. “It is unfair to non-smokers, who should have the freedom to reject second-hand smoke.” She urged the government to extend the smoking ban to areas with slow airflow.