A recent indoor air quality study in Caldwell County shows county workplaces have a high level of fine particle air pollution from secondhand smoke, 1.6 times higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for outdoor air. The air pollution was also 2.8 times higher than Georgetown and 3.1 times higher than Lexington after implementation of their smoke-free laws
The study was a collaborative effort between the Pennyrile District Health Department and the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, funded through a grant from the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
Public Health Services Manager for the Pennyrile District Health Department Judy Rousseau says there have now been indoor air quality studies conducted in Livingston, Lyon, Trigg and Caldwell counties, all with comparable results. Rousseau says the goal of the studies is to help counties in the Pennyrile District go smoke-free.
“We just feel that everyone deserves to have clean air whether it’s in the workplace or a restaurant," said Rousseau. "We don’t want people to have to choose between having a smoke free environment and bringing home a pay check.”
A CaldWELL Committee public survey of 300 showed that people considered a smoking ban a top health issue in 2012.
There are 38 communities in Kentucky with smoke-free regulations, including the cities of Henderson, Hopkinsville, Mayfield, and Paducah, as well as Daviess and Hopkins counties, in western Kentucky.
