Tobacco Fact File

 

Indoor Air Quality Position Statement

 

Goal: The air we breathe will not cause or worsen lung disease. 

Position:

Tobacco Fact File supports an approach towards continual improvement of indoor air quality that focuses on pollution prevention, while ensuring adequate ventilation. Air cleaning may need to be considered, as long as the air cleaning methods have proven effectiveness and do not introduce harmful amounts of pollutants into the indoor environment.

Tobacco Fact File supports strategies that: Consider the available knowledge base; where the knowledge base is inadequate, we should err on the side of caution, and promote research proposals that address these knowledge gaps;

Consider the comparative risks and benefits of alternative measures to improve indoor air quality;
Consider a comprehensive set of intervention tools, which would include 1) increasing the knowledge base (monitoring/research), 2) education, 3) policy development, 4) enforcement, and 5) litigation when necessary.

Rationale

Studies from the United States and Europe show that persons in industrialized nations spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors. 1 For infants, the elderly, people with chronic diseases, and most people who live in urban areas, the percentage is probably higher. In some cases, the concentrations of many pollutants indoors is even higher than outdoors. The lung is the most common site of injury by airborne pollutants. Our goal is to assure excellent air quality in all indoor environments, but some locations are cause for special concern. School buildings, for example, are a unique indoor environment. They are the only location where young children are required by law to be present and breathe the air. Therefore, it can be argued that we have a responsibility to assure excellent air quality in these buildings.

Some of the more common indoor air pollutants of concern:

- Environmental Tobacco Smoke.
- Carbon Monoxide.
- Molds.
- Bio-aerosols.
- Particulates.
- Dust Mites.
- Animal Dander.
- Fragrances.
- Volatile Organic and Non-organic Compounds (e.g., formaldehyde, pesticides, solvents, cleaning agents).
- Heavy Metals (e.g.airborne lead & mercury vapor).
- Asbestos & Radon.
- Definitions.
- Level One – source control (pollution prevention) The source(s) of pollution are eliminated (such as banning indoor smoking), substitution of non-polluting or less polluting alternatives occurs or other.
- methods to reduce the contamination are implemented. Seasonal variations should be taken into account.
- Level Two – local exhaust and proper ventilation amounts to quickly remove the pollutants from the immediate environment and/or dilute them to non-irritating levels.

Level Three - air cleaning At this level, mechanical processes are implemented to remove pollutants to the greatest extent possible.

 

Outdoor Air Quality Position Statement

 

Goal: The air we breathe will not cause or worsen lung disease.

Position: 

Tobacco Fact File supports an approach towards the continual improvement of the outdoor air that focuses on pollution prevention. We support strategies that:

Consider the available knowledge base; where the knowledge base is inadequate, we should on the side of caution, and promote research proposals that address these knowledge gaps;
Consider the comparative risks and benefits of alternative measures to improve outdoor air quality;

Consider a comprehensive set of intervention tools, which would include 1) increasing the knowledge base (monitoring/research), 2) education, 3) policy development, 4) enforcement, and 5) litigation when necessary;

- Consider air pollution problems in their appropriate geographical context.
- Ensure that pollution prevention strategies based on energy conservation not compromise the healthfulness of the indoor environment;

Rationale: 

Poor air quality affects everyone but we are especially concerned about over 100,000 Maine children and adults with lung disease. Despite years of effort and some improvements, air pollution still clogs our nation's skies. Though we like to think Maine air is pristine, air pollution blows in from other states and in-state pollutants contribute further to the problem.

Millions of tons of harmful gasses and particles are released into the air each year. Some of the most common outdoor air pollutants of concern are:

- Fine particles and ozone;
- Pollutant mixtures, such as diesel fuel, wood smoke and forest fires.
- Molds, pollens, and strong odors receive relatively little regulatory attention but are significant outdoor air quality concerns for asthma and allergy suffers.

Outdoor air pollution problems vary in their scope and complexity. Effective interventions may require coordination at the regional, national, or even international levels.

 

Indoor & Outdoor Air Quality  | Air Quality Statements