However, indoor air quality standards for ETS have been proposed in the scientific literature, and reliable mathematical models exist for predicting pollutant concentrations from indoor smoking. Using this procedure, it is clear that dilution ventilation, air cleaning, or displacement ventilation technology even under moderate smoking conditions cannot control ETS risk to de minimis levels for workers or patrons in hospitality venues without massively impractical increases in ventilation. Smoking bans remain the only viable control measure to ensure that workers and patrons of the hospitality industry are protected from exposure to the toxic wastes from tobacco combustion. Air cleaning was similarly viewed as problematic. Panelists viewed the lack of enforcement of ventilation rates by local building codes and the use of natural ventilation as further problems.
Smoking seems to be declining among restaurant patrons.
These predicted levels appear to be significantly lower than most observations, suggesting lower ventilation rates or higher smoker densities than expected. This is not surprising since neither smoker density nor ventilation rates are regulated. All cognizant health and scientific authorities in the U.S., including the US Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, OSHA, the Surgeon General, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Cancer Institute, the National Toxicology Program andthe American Medical Association, have concluded that ETS exposure causes morbidity and mortality. The tobacco industry rejects this consensus. RACT and BACT are designed to control ordinary non-hazardous air pollutants.