Study: Air more toxic in smoky Ore. bars

Publication Date: 2006-06-01

• Author:Kristina Brenneman
• Publication:KTVZ/NPG of Oregon, Inc.

The air pollution levels inside Oregon bars where customers light up is six times higher than in bars that are smokefree, according to a newly released study from the American Cancer Society...

Health care advocates plan to use the study to lobby for a legislative ban on smoking inside bars. Oregon has banned smoking in public places, except for bars, bowling alleys, bingo halls, tobacco retail shops and bars located within restaurants.

"We want to create a law that makes workplaces 100 percent smoke-free," Engle said, adding that Gov. Ted Kulongoski "is very supportive of that type of legislation." ...

More than 35,000 people work in the hospitality industry and are not protected by the state's Indoor Clean Air Act are particularly at risk.

Oregon’s smokefree workplace law does not cover bars, bars within restaurants, bingo halls and bowling alleys.