LANSING - Results from an air monitoring study conducted before and after Michigan's Dr. Ron Davis Smoke Free Air Law took effect indicate a 93 percent reduction in the level of secondhand smoke air pollutants in restaurants after the law went into effect.

The air monitoring study was conducted in the same 77 restaurants before and after the law took effect on May 1, 2010.  All 77 restaurants that allowed smoking before the law have been smoke-free since the law took effect. Prior to the law, 85 percent of the restaurants in the study had poor to dangerous air quality.  After enactment of the law, the venues' levels of secondhand smoke pollutants dropped by a median of 93 percent.

"Measuring the difference in air quality before and after the smoke-free air law went into effect helps the Michigan Department of Community Health determine the direct effectiveness of the law," said Olga Dazzo, Director of the MDCH. "We're thrilled to report that the air quality has dramatically improved. This study clearly demonstrates the health benefit of Michigan's smoke-free air law."