Study:
Secondhand Smoke Effects Pervasive
The Most Detailed Statement by Surgeon General Since 1986
U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona today issued a comprehensive
scientific report which concludes that there is
no risk-free level
of exposure to secondhand smoke.
By Marc Kaufman, Washington Post Staff Writer
Secondhand smoke
increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer by about 25
percent in non-smokers and can be especially dangerous for children
living with smokers, according to a comprehensive report issued
today by U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona.
"The health effects
of secondhand smoke exposure are more pervasive than we previously
thought," said Carmona, vice admiral of the U.S. Public Health
Service. "The scientific evidence is now indisputable: secondhand
smoke is not a mere annoyance. It is a serious health hazard that
can lead to disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking
adults."
According to the
report, the government's most detailed statement ever on secondhand
smoke, exposure can cause heart disease and lung cancer in
nonsmoking adults and is a known cause of sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS), respiratory problems, ear infections and asthma
attacks in infants and children.
The report found
that nearly half of all nonsmoking Americans are still regularly
exposed to smoke from others. It concludes that any exposure to
secondhand smoke is a risk to nonsmokers, and as a result the only
way to protect nonsmokers is to eliminate indoor smoking.
The last time that
the surgeon general addressed secondhand smoke was in 1986. The
Environmental Protection Agency and the California EPA have both
addressed the issue since then -- concluding that nonsmokers were at
risk for secondhand smoke -- but the surgeon general has generally
be considered the most authoritative source on science and tobacco
issues.
The report, The
Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke,
concludes that even short exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to
immediate cardiovascular problems, and long-term heath problems and
lung disease.
"The report is a
crucial warning sign to nonsmokers and smokers alike," said Health
and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt. "Smoking can sicken
and kill, and even people who do not smoke can be harmed by smoke
from those who do."
There are more than
50 cancer-causing chemicals in secondhand smoke, and smokers and
nonsmokers in rooms with smokers inhale many of the same toxins.
Because the bodies of infants and children are still developing, the
report says, they are at special risk for secondhand smoke.
The report finds
that even the most sophisticated ventilation systems cannot
eliminate secondhand smoke and that only smoke-free environments are
risk-free, and Carmona endorsed smoke-free indoor buildings as the
solution.
He called the
adoption of smoke-free buildings in many cities and states a major
public health accomplishment that has had enormous positive effects.
He said that levels of cotinine, a biological marker for secondhand
smoke exposure, have fallen by 70 percent in nonsmokers since the
late 1980s.
The report does not
present new scientific data, but rather is a compilation of the best
research on secondhand smoke.
"This report once
and for all ends any scientific debate about whether exposure to
secondhand smoke is a cause of serious diseases like lung cancer and
heart disease," Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids,
said in a statement.
The report, he
said, "leads to one inescapable conclusion: Only comprehensive
smoke-free workplace laws can protect all workers and the public
from the serious, proven health risks of secondhand smoke. The
report's conclusions make the need for strong and immediate action
clear: It's time to protect everyone's right to breathe clean air."
The tobacco
industry has tried to minimize the scientific findings on
environmental tobacco smoke, the report said.
"The industry has
funded or carried out research that has been judged to be biased,
supported scientists to generate letters to editors that criticized
research publications, attempted to undermine the findings of key
studies, assisted in establishing a scientific society with a
journal, and attempted to sustain controversy even as the scientific
community reached consensus," the report said.
Copies of The
Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A
Report are available on the Surgeon General's Web site at
www.surgeongeneral.gov.
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