How much smoke is in the air at Knoxville restaurants?
KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A 6 News investigation found the air in some Knoxville restaurants is rated in the very unhealthy category.
Tennessee has not joined other states in banning smoking in public places.
To test how the air in restaurants is affected by cigarette smoke, 6 News rented a portable air quality monitor from Asthead Technology. The monitor is like those used by the Centers for Disease Control.
The monitor tracks and records levels of air particles found in secondhand smoke.
We took the monitor to five family-style restaurants to find out if your health is at risk when you sit down to eat.
6 News placed the monitor in a purse for each restaurant visit, and was always in areas outside the smoking section.
To get the best results possible, we ate dinner in the restaurant as the machine calculated the air quality. Then we showed the results to anti-smoking advocate and family physician Dr. Raye-anne Ayo.
There are no EPA regulations for indoor air. But using the agency's outdoor air quality standards, not one restaurant 6 News checked measured good.
EPA Air Quality Standards
15 or less good
16-40 moderate
41-65 unhealthy for sensitive groups
66-150 unhealthy
151-250 very unhealthy
250+ hazardous
The worst rating we measured was at the Cracker Barrel restaurant at 2920 South Mall Road. The air there registered at 161 during a 20 minute test. That's in the very unhealthy category.
6 News contacted Cracker Barrel for a response about the results. Management sent this statement:
"Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is committed to providing a comfortable experience while accommodating both smoking and non-smoking guests. The smoking section in this particular store is located in the third dining room, so non-smokers don't have to walk through a smoking section. Cracker Barrel does not utilize a separate ventilation system inside this dining room. However, there is a layer of Plexiglas inside the decorative latticework which separates the third dining room from the non-smoking section. Cracker Barrel will also accommodate guest requests to be seated away from the smoking section. Our goal is to provide a comfortable environment that respects all of our guests."
"After about five minutes, it's as if you yourself had smoked a cigarette and after 20 minutes, it's as if you yourself had smoked a pack," Dr. Ayo says.
Here are the results of the other restaurants we tested. We have not named these restaurants because they did not have an opportunity to provide a response to our findings.
RESTAURANT
RATING
Restaurant A
18 (moderate)
Restaurant B
87 (unhealthy)
Restaurant C
103 (unhealthy)
Restaurant D
57 (unhealthy for sensitive groups)
Keep in mind, the 6 News findings represent the air quality only during the time we spent at each restaurant. They could change at other times.
Some people say it should be up to local governments or businesses to decide in the fight over secondhand smoke.
Tennessee has not joined other states in banning smoking in public places.
To test how the air in restaurants is affected by cigarette smoke, 6 News rented a portable air quality monitor from Asthead Technology. The monitor is like those used by the Centers for Disease Control.
The monitor tracks and records levels of air particles found in secondhand smoke.
We took the monitor to five family-style restaurants to find out if your health is at risk when you sit down to eat.
6 News placed the monitor in a purse for each restaurant visit, and was always in areas outside the smoking section.
To get the best results possible, we ate dinner in the restaurant as the machine calculated the air quality. Then we showed the results to anti-smoking advocate and family physician Dr. Raye-anne Ayo.
There are no EPA regulations for indoor air. But using the agency's outdoor air quality standards, not one restaurant 6 News checked measured good.
EPA Air Quality Standards
15 or less good
16-40 moderate
41-65 unhealthy for sensitive groups
66-150 unhealthy
151-250 very unhealthy
250+ hazardous
The worst rating we measured was at the Cracker Barrel restaurant at 2920 South Mall Road. The air there registered at 161 during a 20 minute test. That's in the very unhealthy category.
6 News contacted Cracker Barrel for a response about the results. Management sent this statement:
"Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is committed to providing a comfortable experience while accommodating both smoking and non-smoking guests. The smoking section in this particular store is located in the third dining room, so non-smokers don't have to walk through a smoking section. Cracker Barrel does not utilize a separate ventilation system inside this dining room. However, there is a layer of Plexiglas inside the decorative latticework which separates the third dining room from the non-smoking section. Cracker Barrel will also accommodate guest requests to be seated away from the smoking section. Our goal is to provide a comfortable environment that respects all of our guests."
"After about five minutes, it's as if you yourself had smoked a cigarette and after 20 minutes, it's as if you yourself had smoked a pack," Dr. Ayo says.
Here are the results of the other restaurants we tested. We have not named these restaurants because they did not have an opportunity to provide a response to our findings.
RESTAURANT
RATING
Restaurant A
18 (moderate)
Restaurant B
87 (unhealthy)
Restaurant C
103 (unhealthy)
Restaurant D
57 (unhealthy for sensitive groups)
Keep in mind, the 6 News findings represent the air quality only during the time we spent at each restaurant. They could change at other times.
Some people say it should be up to local governments or businesses to decide in the fight over secondhand smoke.
KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A 6 News investigation found the air in some Knoxville restaurants is rated in the very unhealthy category.
Tennessee has not joined other states in banning smoking in public places.
To test how the air in restaurants is affected by cigarette smoke, 6 News rented a portable air quality monitor from Asthead Technology. The monitor is like those used by the Centers for Disease Control.
The monitor tracks and records levels of air particles found in secondhand smoke.
We took the monitor to five family-style restaurants to find out if your health is at risk when you sit down to eat.
6 News placed the monitor in a purse for each restaurant visit, and was always in areas outside the smoking section.
To get the best results possible, we ate dinner in the restaurant as the machine calculated the air quality. Then we showed the results to anti-smoking advocate and family physician Dr. Raye-anne Ayo.
There are no EPA regulations for indoor air. But using the agency's outdoor air quality standards, not one restaurant 6 News checked measured good.
EPA Air Quality Standards
15 or less good
16-40 moderate
41-65 unhealthy for sensitive groups
66-150 unhealthy
151-250 very unhealthy
250+ hazardous
The worst rating we measured was at the Cracker Barrel restaurant at 2920 South Mall Road. The air there registered at 161 during a 20 minute test. That's in the very unhealthy category.
6 News contacted Cracker Barrel for a response about the results. Management sent this statement:
"Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is committed to providing a comfortable experience while accommodating both smoking and non-smoking guests. The smoking section in this particular store is located in the third dining room, so non-smokers don't have to walk through a smoking section. Cracker Barrel does not utilize a separate ventilation system inside this dining room. However, there is a layer of Plexiglas inside the decorative latticework which separates the third dining room from the non-smoking section. Cracker Barrel will also accommodate guest requests to be seated away from the smoking section. Our goal is to provide a comfortable environment that respects all of our guests."
"After about five minutes, it's as if you yourself had smoked a cigarette and after 20 minutes, it's as if you yourself had smoked a pack," Dr. Ayo says.
Here are the results of the other restaurants we tested. We have not named these restaurants because they did not have an opportunity to provide a response to our findings.
RESTAURANT
RATING
Restaurant A
18 (moderate)
Restaurant B
87 (unhealthy)
Restaurant C
103 (unhealthy)
Restaurant D
57 (unhealthy for sensitive groups)
Keep in mind, the 6 News findings represent the air quality only during the time we spent at each restaurant. They could change at other times.
Some people say it should be up to local governments or businesses to decide in the fight over secondhand smoke.
Tennessee has not joined other states in banning smoking in public places.
To test how the air in restaurants is affected by cigarette smoke, 6 News rented a portable air quality monitor from Asthead Technology. The monitor is like those used by the Centers for Disease Control.
The monitor tracks and records levels of air particles found in secondhand smoke.
We took the monitor to five family-style restaurants to find out if your health is at risk when you sit down to eat.
6 News placed the monitor in a purse for each restaurant visit, and was always in areas outside the smoking section.
To get the best results possible, we ate dinner in the restaurant as the machine calculated the air quality. Then we showed the results to anti-smoking advocate and family physician Dr. Raye-anne Ayo.
There are no EPA regulations for indoor air. But using the agency's outdoor air quality standards, not one restaurant 6 News checked measured good.
EPA Air Quality Standards
15 or less good
16-40 moderate
41-65 unhealthy for sensitive groups
66-150 unhealthy
151-250 very unhealthy
250+ hazardous
The worst rating we measured was at the Cracker Barrel restaurant at 2920 South Mall Road. The air there registered at 161 during a 20 minute test. That's in the very unhealthy category.
6 News contacted Cracker Barrel for a response about the results. Management sent this statement:
"Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is committed to providing a comfortable experience while accommodating both smoking and non-smoking guests. The smoking section in this particular store is located in the third dining room, so non-smokers don't have to walk through a smoking section. Cracker Barrel does not utilize a separate ventilation system inside this dining room. However, there is a layer of Plexiglas inside the decorative latticework which separates the third dining room from the non-smoking section. Cracker Barrel will also accommodate guest requests to be seated away from the smoking section. Our goal is to provide a comfortable environment that respects all of our guests."
"After about five minutes, it's as if you yourself had smoked a cigarette and after 20 minutes, it's as if you yourself had smoked a pack," Dr. Ayo says.
Here are the results of the other restaurants we tested. We have not named these restaurants because they did not have an opportunity to provide a response to our findings.
RESTAURANT
RATING
Restaurant A
18 (moderate)
Restaurant B
87 (unhealthy)
Restaurant C
103 (unhealthy)
Restaurant D
57 (unhealthy for sensitive groups)
Keep in mind, the 6 News findings represent the air quality only during the time we spent at each restaurant. They could change at other times.
Some people say it should be up to local governments or businesses to decide in the fight over secondhand smoke.
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