with poll: State says smoking ban improved bar workers' health

Bar employees who participated in a state-administered secondhand smoke study reported better respiratory health and an improvement in allergy symptoms following the smoking ban.

The Michigan Department of Community Health released these and other findings today ahead of the one-year anniversary of a smoke-free law that went into effect May 1, 2010.

The ban on smoking applies to all bars and restaurants but exempts casinos and cigar bars.

The state conducted the study of 40 bar employees from 13 Michigan counties four to six weeks before and six to 10 weeks after the smoke-free law was implemented.

Photo by Flickr user Saltram

Researchers measured chemicals in participants’ urine that show an individual’s level of secondhand smoke exposure and found significant decreases. Participants also completed a general health and respiratory questionnaire.

The ban has stoked debate in Ann Arbor and around the state. Health advocacy groups praised the move, but restaurant industry lobbyists and some business owners decried it for its potential to hurt the bottom line during hard economic times.

Business owners, smokers, restaurant owners, and patrons of Ann Arbor, what do you think of the ban? Has it hurt business? Helped your lungs? Trampled on your freedoms? Freshened the air? Take our poll and leave a comment below.