Sitting inside a pub away from punters puffing on cigarettes outside may not afford you the protection from cancer-causing tobacco smoke that you hoped.
A new study of bars in central Wellington reveals that smokefree indoor areas are being contaminated with second-hand smoke from outside, especially when doors are constantly opened.
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Checks found that indoor areas at three-quarters of the bars exceeded the WHO's standard for air quality of 25 micrograms of pollution per cubic metre of air.
The average was about 50 micrograms, with one unnamed pub recording 116 micrograms - more than four times safe levels - after keeping its external doors open all evening.
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Public health researchers Richard Edwards and Nick Wilson, of the University of Otago, warned non-smoking punters may be getting exposed to a lot more cigarette smoke than they realise despite sitting in so-called "safe" non-smoking zones.
The results, published in the latest New Zealand Medical Journal, were considerably higher than those seen in earlier Australian studies and were most concerning for pub regulars with asthma and heart disease, they said.
Based on their findings, the academics said new laws may be needed to force pubs to restrict smoke drift through windows and doors, protecting non-smoking customers and workers from dangerous tobacco exposure.
The study, carried out in fine weather across all seasons, also found "very poor" air quality in many of the pubs' semi-enclosed outdoor smoking areas.
Every pub failed the WHO air quality test outdoors, with one recording an excessive 192 micrograms.
Professor Edwards said these results may justify regulations banning outdoor service areas to help keep bar staff safe.
The researchers also suggested New Zealand follow Queensland with rules requiring a proportion of outdoor seating to remain smokefree so non-smokers can safely sit outside.
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