Standard 62 and smoking

This article presents how ventilation and air quality in smoking spaces are being treated by ANSI/ASHRAE standard 62, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality. Historical information is given about environmental tobacco smoke and ventilation requirements in the standard since its first issue in 1973. The status of the 31 addenda to the 1999 version of the standard, some of them being included in the 2001 version, others still being in discussion or in the process to be adopted, is explained. Among them are four smoking-related addenda : 62e, 62g, 62o and 62ag.
As the issue of smoking in this standard appears as being contentious, ASHRAE Board of Directors recommended in June 2002 that Standard 62 only applies to non-smoking spaces in buildings. Addendum 62ag is developed to implement this recommendation. In parallel, a design guide for smoking spaces will be developed by ASHRAE, as well as a position document about the health effects of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke.