Date: 11/11/09
Venue: UP Press Club, Lucknow

Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (UPVHA) successfully released the Air Quality Monitoring Study in Bars and Restaurants of Lucknow City at UP Press Club, Lucknow. The study was released in a press conference amidst presence of over 62 journalists, both from the print and electronic media.

Dr. P.C. Bhatnagar, Director, Communicable Diseases, Voluntary Health Association of India was the Chief Guest of the conference. All the major dailies were represented including Hindustan, Amar Ujala, DNA, I-Next, Rahat Times, Panjab Kesari, Swatantra Bharat etc.)

Major News channels News3, SK News, Zee News UP, DIGI News etc.were also present in the conference

UPVHA Programme Coordinator Mr. J.P. Sharma give a warm welcome note to the chief guest and the entire media representatives. He introduced about the study by telling that it was an air quality study and conducted to measure particulate air pollution from secondhand smoke in 20 different indoor hospitality locations, including bars and restaurants mostly during their peak business hours in August and September 2009.

A brief presentation on smoke free law in India describing about the smoke free rules notified in 2008 and 2009 was given to the media by Mr. J.P Sharma, Programme Coordinator, UPVHA.

Dr. P.C. Bhatnagar gave the detailed information on the health hazards of second hand smoke and Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) Study conducted in India.

In his briefing he informed that this kind of study is first time conducted in India by Voluntary Health Association of India in 16 cities of 12 states. Then he proceeded towards second hand smoke, he told that Secondhand smoke (SHS) is the combination of smoke from the burning end of the cigarette and the smoke exhaled by smokers. When we breathe secondhand smoke, it is as we are smoking. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Breathing even a little SHS can be dangerous. SHS is a hazardous mixture that contains over 4000 chemicals such as cadmium, lead, arsenic, benzene, carbon monoxide, out of which over 69 are carcinogenic. These chemicals are released into the air as particles and gases like nicotine, tar, benzene, carbon monoxide, ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. Secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer and serious respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma.

Secondhand smoke among pregnant women is a major cause of spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) after birth. Children are also more likely to have lung problems, ear infections, and severe asthma from being around tobacco smoke.

Further it was explained about the Air Quality monitoring study, which was conducted in 16 cities of 12 states. Lucknow was one of 16 cities where the study was conducted at 20 bars and restaurants with the help of TSI Side Pak AM510 Personal Aerosol Monitor. He described that how the study was conducted, how sample was collected from various sites. While stating about results of study he told that out of the 20 hospitality sites visited in Lucknow, smoking was observed in 12 places and not observed in 8 places. The level of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) in the places with observed smoking is almost 81times higher than the World Health Organization target air quality guideline for PM2.5. Smoke-free places had significantly lower pollution levels than places where smoking was observed. Among all 20 indoor places combined, pollution levels were 83% less for smoke-free places than places where smoking was observed.

Uttar Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (UPVHA) also developed a comprehensive press kit for the journalists which included the press release (English & Hindi), National and State AQM report, Summary report and the fact sheets. They were also given a wall clock as a memento containing a message "Leave tobacco now, today" The press conference was concluded with a vote of thanks by Programme Coordinator, UPVHA with a request to media and administration representative work together to make the Lucknow, a Smoke Free City.