UGA study says indoor smoking ban pushes health hazard outside.
UGA researchers did the study outside Athens restaurants and bars which have had an indoor smoking ban since 2005.
The scientists had non-smokers sit outside for a six hour period.
They found levels of the nicotine by-product cotinine increased 162 percent in those volunteers.
Since that much exposure could signal a potential public health problem, the research team next plans to study the levels of known carcinogens in people exposed to second-hand smoke outdoors.
