Implications of ASHRAE’s Guidance on Ventilation for Smoking-Permitted Areas PDF

The issue of how to deal with secondhand smoke has been a subject of debate within ASHRAE for many years.1 This debate has centered around ANSI ASHRAE Standard 62, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, whose stated purpose is to "specify minimum ventilation rates and indoor air quality that will be acceptable to human occupants and are intended to minimize the potential for adverse health effects." Acceptable indoor air quality is defined as "air in which there are no known contaminants at harmful concentrations as determined by cognizant authorities and with which a substantial majority (80% or more) of the people exposed do not express dissatisfaction."