Ventilation performance for spaces where smoking is permitted: A review of previous work and field study results

This paper reviews previous studies and reports on the first stage of a series of field studies developed with the aim of assessing the performance of ventilation systems currently in use in public houses where smoking is permitted. Established ventilation theory is used to hypothesize the behaviour of these systems predicting that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke will be substantially reduced. The problems associated with conducting field studies in buildings of this nature are discussed, and the results of some representative studies are presented. The effectiveness of the ventilation systems is clearly demonstrated. Limitations of the study are identified and further work is proposed. Practical application: This paper informs the current debate on the value of ventilation systems in spaces where smoking is permitted. Despite the proposed ban on smoking in public places in England and the ban in Scotland there will be a variety of exemptions where the building is also someone's place of residence. Internationally, alternatives to a ban including the better use of ventilation systems are under consideration. In addition to making the case for the use of ventilation, the paper provides some interesting pointers on innovative supply strategies for this application.