Study finds flaws in airports' smoking room ventilation

Study finds flaws in airports' smoking room ventilation

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

Research by Mahidol University has found ventilation systems in the smoking rooms at four Thai airports do not work properly, putting passengers at risk of inhaling second-hand smoke.

The research, conducted by the university's Public Health Faculty, tested the air quality at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket and Chiang Mai international airports in November. Its results were released yesterday.

Nipapun Kungskulniti, an academic with the faculty, said air samples taken from the airports' smoking rooms contained four times more cigarette smoke than the average for airports in the United States.

Air samples were collected from smoking lounges, areas near doors of smoking lounges and designated non-smoking areas in each airport.

The results showed that small particle pollution, defined as particulate matter of less than 2.5 microgrammes (PM 2.5), was found in all areas.

The average PM 2.5 level in the airports' smoking areas was 773.4 microgrammes per cubic metre (ug/cu m), four times higher than in the US airports which is at 188.7 ug/cu m, as reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012.

In the areas near the smoking room doors, the average PM 2.5 level was 54 ug/cu m, which exceed Thailand's safe air quality standard of 50 ug/cu m.

Even in the airports' designated non-smoking areas away from the smoking rooms, an average PM 2.5 level of 14 ug/cu m was detected.

The research proves the ventilation systems in the airports' smoking rooms do not work, Ms Nipapun said. Smoke often escapes through open doors and it can spread up to nine metres and remain in the air for as long as 48 hours, she said. "This means that anyone could inhale second-hand smoke, even outside the smoking lounges," Ms Nipapun said.

The researchers found some airport restaurants had smoking lounges, which put non-smoking diners at risk of exposure to second-hand smoke.

Thailand Health Promotion Institute president Hatai Chitanondh has responded to the study's finding by calling for a complete ban on smoking in all Thai airports.

This would be the only way to guarantee a smoke-free airport environment, he said. "I don't believe this will violate smokers' rights," Dr Hatai said.

"Passengers have other choices such as chewing nicotine gum while they are inside airports."

The university will hand its research to the Public Health Ministry and Transport Ministry and encourage them to take action.

Mahidol University also interviewed 200 passengers passing through Suvarnabhumi International Airport as part of the study.

The travellers were asked about their perception of smoke-free airports.

Of the respondents, 66% said they would still use the airport if a total smoking ban was enforced.

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