Smoke-free Grand Forks marks one year

• No smoking sign

Anti-tobacco activists in Grand Forks celebrated the first anniversary of the ban on smoking in bars and truck stops Monday with the release of a study that shows the ban has made a difference.

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Anti-tobacco activists in Grand Forks celebrated the first anniversary of the ban on smoking in bars and truck stops Monday with the release of a study that shows the ban has made a difference.

Air samples taken at several businesses before and after the law passed show that the amount of fine particles in the air had dropped 92 percent, said public health nurse Haley Thorson, who chairs the Grand Forks Tobacco Free Coalition.

Cigarette smoke releases a lot of small particles that, when inhaled, can cause heart and lung diseases leading to death, according to the study that the coalition commissioned from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Thorson said similar studies in other cities also found a drop in the amount of fine particles, but the coalition wanted data that was meaningful for Grand Forks residents.

The smoking ban went into effect at midnight Aug. 14, 2010. There had long been bans on smoking at most businesses, but bars and truck stops had been exempt.

The coalition, funded by the state’s settlement with the tobacco industry, had lobbied the City Council to close that exemption against the objection of some bar owners.

Air samples

The fine particle study released Monday included air samples gathered by volunteers at bars and truck stops. They and their air monitors were seated randomly rather than specifically choosing to sit next to smokers or far away.

The businesses were not aware the monitors were there, Thorson said.

Volunteers visited 11 businesses in total, but only five were monitored both before and after the law passed.

Thorson said the businesses varied in locations throughout Grand Forks.

Before the law passed, the fine particle count at the businesses ranged from an average of 11 micrograms per cubic meter to 112, the study said. The more cigarettes lit and the smaller the space, the higher the fine particle count.

Anything more than 65 is considered unhealthy and more than 40 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, the study said, citing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.

After the law passed, the fine particle count ranged from 4 to 12. The average count for outdoor air in North Dakota is 7.

Thorson said the coalition has commissioned another study, this one focused on impact to the community, including the public’s attitudes toward the smoking ban and businesses hurt or helped.

She said the study may include the number of people now smoking, though she said it typically takes a longer time for smoking bans to affect those numbers.

That study won’t be released until sometime next year.

Reach Tran at (701) 780-1248; (800) 477-6572, ext. 248; or send email to ttran@gfherald.com.

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