Why Is It a Problem?
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified second hand smoke as a Group A carcinogen. Environmental tobacco smoke has also been classified as a "known human carcinogen" by the US National Toxicology Program.
Second hand tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer.
Second hand smoke can be harmful in many ways. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for:
* An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are not current smokers
* About 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmoking adults
* Other respiratory problems in nonsmokers, including coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function
* 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations
* Increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million asthmatic children
The 1986 US Surgeon General's report on the health consequences of involuntary smoking reached 3 important conclusions about secondhand smoke:
* Involuntary smoking causes disease, including lung cancer, in healthy nonsmokers.
* When compared with the children of nonsmoking parents, children of parents who smoke have more frequent respiratory infections, more respiratory symptoms, and slower development of lung function as the lung matures.
* Separating smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space may reduce, but does not eliminate, the exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.
Where Is It a Problem?
There are 3 locations where you should be especially concerned about exposure to secondhand smoke:
Your workplace: Second hand smoke meets the criteria to be classified as a potential cancer-causing agent by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency responsible for health and safety regulations in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), another federal agency, also recommends that secondhand smoke be considered a potential occupational carcinogen.
Aside from protecting nonsmokers, workplace smoking restrictions may also encourage smokers who wish to quit or reduce their consumption of tobacco products.
Public places: Everyone is vulnerable to second hand smoke exposure in public places, such as restaurants and shopping centers. Although some businesses are reluctant to ban smoking, there is no credible evidence that going smoke-free is bad for business. Public places where children go are a special area of concern.
Your home: Making your home smoke-free is perhaps one of the most important things to do. Any family member can develop health problems related to secondhand smoke. Think about it: we spend more time at home than anywhere else. A smoke-free home protects your family, your guests, and even your pets.
Smoking Odors
There is no research in the medical literature about the cancer-causing effects of cigarette odors, but the literature shows that secondhand tobacco smoke can permeate the hair, clothing, and other surfaces.
What Can Be Done?
Many local, state, and federal authorities have enacted public policies to protect people from second hand smoke. Because there are no safe levels of secondhand smoke, it is important that any such policies be as strong as possible. To learn how you can become involved in reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, contact your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.
Additional Resources
Other Organizations
American Lung Association
Telephone: 1-(800) 586-4872
Internet Address: www.lungusa.org
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Telephone: (202) 260-2090
Internet Address: www.epa.gov/iaq/ets/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS)
Telephone: 1-(800) 311-3545
Internet Address: www.cdc.gov/tobacco/
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Information Service
NCI Public Inquiries Office Building 31
Telephone: 1-(800) 4-CANCER (1-(800) 422-6237)
Internet Address: www.cancer.gov
References
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2003. Atlanta, GA.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Current Intelligence Bulletin 54: Environmental Tobacco Smoke in the Workplace - Lung Cancer and Other Health Effects. 1991. (Publication No. 91-108) Available online at: www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001001-d001100/d001030/d001030.html. Accessed November 2003.
Environmental Protection Agency. Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders. Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency; 1992. (Report Number EPA/600/6-90/006F) Available online at. Accessed November 2003.
Glantz, Stanton. "Tobacco Biology and Politics," Health Edco, 1992.
Patten, et al. "Workplace Smoking Policy and Changes in Smoking Behaviour in California: A Suggested Association," Tobacco Control 1995; 4: 36-41.
Pirkle JL, Flegal KM, Bernert JT, Brody DJ, Etzel RA, Maurer KR. Exposure of the US population to environmental tobacco smoke: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 to 1991. JAMA. 1996;275(16):1233-40.
Steenland K. Passive smoking and the risk of heart disease JAMA. 1992;267:94-99.
US Department of Health and Human Services. 10th Report on Carcinogens. Public Health Service - National Toxicology Program. 2002. Available online at http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/roc/toc10.html. Accessed November 2003.
US Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services; 1986. (Publication Number HPS 87-8398)
Revised 11-14-03