« June 2006 | Main | August 2006 »
July 26, 2006
The Facts About Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke has received increased attention in the media recently. In late June the Surgeon General released a new report titled The Health Effects of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke confirming the dangerous affects of secondhand smoke on adults and children both in the work and home environment.
Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished, and causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 to 62,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year.
The Surgeon General’s report had six major conclusions:
- Secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and adults that do not smoke.
- Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.
- Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
- Scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk free level of exposure to SHS.
- Millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to SHS in their homes and workplaces despite substantial progress in tobacco control.
- Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from exposure to SHS; separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposures of nonsmokers to SHS.
Secondhand smoke exposure in the workplace
With no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke it’s imperative that state and local officials take appropriate steps to protect public health in the workplace. An effective way to do that is to pass a comprehensive smokefree air law that covers all workplaces, including restaurants and bars. The popularity of smokefree air laws across the country is increasing as Americans demand safer working environments and elected officials take steps to provide a better quality of life for their constituents. Currently, 14 states including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have already passed strong smokefree air laws.1 This November, voters in Arizona, Ohio and Nevada will have the chance to vote on similar measures.
In January, the American Lung Association released its annual State of Tobacco Control report card grading states and the Federal government in several key tobacco control policy areas, including smokefree air. Click here to see the report and find out how your state ranks.
What you can do to protect yourself and your family
Smokefree Zone: Declare your home a smokefree zone. No level of exposure to secondhand smoke is safe. Children are especially vulnerable to other people’s smoke, suffering acute respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, more sever asthma and ear infections as a result. Do not allow smoking in your home, or ask smokers to take it outside.
Travel Healthy: Consider traveling/vacationing in smokefree cities or states. Stay in a hotel that has gone smokefree, like the Westin or Marriott2, who are making an effort to provide a healthier environment for their customers.
Get Involved: If your state of city doesn’t have a comprehensive smokefree air law, help to advocate for one. Earlier this year the American Lung Association kicked off its Smokefree Air 2010 Challenge calling on state and local policymakers to pass and strengthen smokefree air laws. Click here to get involved with the challenge.
For more information about secondhand smoke click here.
1 Montana’s law will take full effect October 1, 2009. Utah’s law will take full effect January 1, 2009. The District of Columbia’s law will take full effect January 1, 2007. Puerto Rico’s law will take effect in March 2007.
2 On July 19, 2006 Marriott announced that in September 2007 Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites and Marriott ExecuStay brands will 100% smokefree.
Posted by lungblogposter at 09:08 AM | Comments (6)
