The attitudes of non-smoking bar staff to exposure to environmental tobacco smoke at work

Abstract

British pub workers are heavily exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. We interviewed 32 non-smoking pub workers in Birmingham to examine their views on smoke exposure and protection. They had little knowledge about the risks of environmental tobacco smoke. Most felt that something should be done to protect them, but few felt that effective measures were likely, and that exposure to smoke was part of pub work. Campaigners working to protect these workers need to know that pub workers expect to work in a smoky environment, do not feel able to change this themselves, and nor do they expect others to change it for them.