2006 New Jersey Air Monitoring Study, Showing the Effect of the NJ SFAA

In return testing at sites tested in the 2005 study -- restaurants, bars, and bowling alleys that formerly allowed smoking -- no smoking was observed in any location, and fine particle indoor air pollution was reduced an average of 91%. Also, there was no decrease in patron counts. Employees in those hospitality venues now have workplaces with acceptable air quality. Additionally, interviews with patrons, employees, and managers found essentially unanimous and enthusiastic acceptance of the law and the newly smokefree environments.

Casino gambling areas remained as polluted as before the law. Casino non-gambling areas, required to be smoking-prohibited by the law [but entirely open to gambling areas and apparently sharing a common air space], were, on average, more than half as polluted as the gambling areas. But during the July New Jersey government "shutdown", when gambling was suspended, casino air quality was superb, with lower levels of fine particle air pollution than in outdoor air.

To see the news release about the study, click here.

To see the executive summary of the report, click here.

To see the charts of primary results, click here.

To see the full 22 page report, click here.

This page updated November 9, 2006