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<br /> estimated to be responsible for the country's health from the dangerous effects of SHS.
<br /> annual 430 cases of SIDS, 24500 low-birth Smoke-free policies protect health; where they
<br /> weight babies, 71 900 pre-term deliveries, are introduced, exposure to SHS falls and health
<br /> 200 000 episodes of asthma and 790 000 improves. They are also extremely cost-effective,
<br /> medical visits due to middle-ear infection. 13.44 especially compared with the ineffective "alter-
<br /> Estimates of deaths attributable to exposure to natives" promoted by the tobacco industry,
<br /> SHS are available for at least 27 other coun- generally through third parties, namely: 55
<br /> t rles,45, 46, 47, 48, 49 • separation of smokers and non-smokers
<br /> within the same airspace; and
<br /> Economic costs of SHS exposure • increased ventilation and air filtration com-
<br /> Exposure to SHS imposes economic costs on bined with "designated smoking areas".
<br /> individuals, businesses and society as a whole.
<br /> Economic costs include primarily direct and Ineffective "alternatives"
<br /> indirect medical costs and productivity losses. Separation of smokers and non-smokers within
<br /> In addition, workplaces where smoking is per- the same airspace. Simply separating smokers
<br /> mitted incur higher renovation and cleaning and non-smokers within the same air space,
<br /> costs, an increased risk of fire and may expe- absent any floor-to-ceiling barriers, does not
<br /> rience higher insurance premiums. 50 eliminate - and in many cases does not even
<br /> reduce - non-smokers' exposure to SHS.16, 57,
<br /> The costs of SHS exposure have been evaluated sa,s9, 60 Exposure of non-smokers to SHS in such
<br /> in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong Special open air spaces is highlyvariable depending on
<br /> Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR), Ireland, local airflow patterns, dilution volume, dis-
<br /> the United Kingdom and the United States. 51 tance between smokers and non-smokers and
<br /> Specific estimates of cost vary, depending on amount of smoking, among other elements.
<br /> the factors included in the study. However, in Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC)
<br /> all cases these costs are significant. systems, depending on their design, almost
<br /> e always re-circulate air from smoke-contami-
<br /> A recent study bythe Society of Actuaries in the nated areas to non-smoking areas. One study
<br /> United States estimates that SHS exposure of ambient nicotine levels (a marker for SHS) in
<br /> ti results in over US$ 5 billion in direct medical Latin America showed higher levels of nicotine
<br /> costs and in over US$ 5 billion in indirect medical in non-smoking than the adjacent smoking sec-
<br /> costs (such as disability, lost wages and related tions in some settings.41 Moreover, studies of
<br /> benefits) annually in the United States.52 In workers in non-smoking areas have shown that
<br /> Hong Kong SAR, the annual value of direct their exposure to SHS can be as high as that of
<br /> medical costs, long-term care and productivity workers in areaswhere smoking is permitted 61,62
<br /> loss due to SHS exposure is estimated to be
<br /> US$ 156 million. 53 Increased ventilation and filtration combined
<br /> • with "designated smoking areas'". Neither.ven-
<br /> tilation nor filtration, alone or in combination,
<br /> SECTION III -THE SOLUTION can reduce exposure levels of tobacco smoke
<br /> from indoor spaces to levels that are considered
<br /> ¦ Effective protection strategies acceptable, even in terms of odour, much less
<br /> 100% indoor smoke-free environments health effects.6a, 64 While increasing the ven-
<br /> ' There is no safe level of exposure to SHS.14,15, 54 tilation rate does reduce the concentration of
<br /> a Therefore, the elimination of smoking from indoor pollutants, including tobacco smoke,
<br /> indoor environments is the only science-based ventilation rates more than 100 times above
<br /> measure that adequately protects a population's common standards would be required just to
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