Acute asthma death associated with work-related ETS..

February 12, 2008 - A young asthmatic woman who collapsed and died shortly after arriving for her shift as a waitress at a bar may be the first reported death to be reported nationally from acute asthma associated with environmental tobacco smoke (ETS, second hand smoke, passive smoking, involuntary smoking). The case report (Am J Ind Med 51:111-116,2008) states the woman arrived at the bar in Michigan and, according to co-workers, seemed happy and healthy. About 15 or 20 minutes later she collapsed and within a few minutes died. "This is the first reported acute asthma death associated with work-related ETS," said Kenneth Rosenman, a Michigan State University professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "Recent studies of air quality and asthma among bar and restaurant workers before and after smoking bans support this association."This death dramatizes the need to enact legal protections for workers in the hospitality industry from secondhand smoke." We have federal laws that say employers have to provide a safe and healthy workplace. This was clearly not a safe and healthy workplace for this employee. "This death dramatizes the need to enact legal protections for workers in the hospitality industry from secondhand smoke." In the United States, 23 states have already banned smoking in restaurants and bars. A number of other states, including Michigan are considering it. "Consider that 75 percent of the population doesn't smoke," he said. "Banning smoking could actually serve to increase business. Studies of restaurants and bars in Boston, New York City, San Francisco and Washington D.C. all show business up since they banned smoking. Chicago went smoke free the beginning of this year." (First reported acute asthma death associated with work-related environmental tobacco smoke, News-Medical.Net, 2/11/2008) Some related news briefs: When a parent brings a child into this world they want the child be healthy and to live a happy and enjoyable life.., Banning tobacco smoking in public places is a public health issue and not a property rights or business rights issue.. and For your pet's sake, keep your home and car tobacco-free...