6 Major Conclusions of the Surgeon General Report/Secondhand Smoke
Many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces despite substantial progress in tobacco control. Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who 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 the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer. The scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. -
Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposures of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.
US Department of Health and Human Services, “the Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General”, US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Center for Chronic disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of Smoking and Health, 2006.
Office of the Surgeon General
“The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke” (2006)
Assessed on 7-21-2010 www.surgeongeneral.gov |
Affects of Secondhand Smoke
- It is critical when doing education on the health consequences of tobacco that the topic of secondhand smoke is also presented. There is a significant need to decrease children’s exposure to secondhand smoke by urging care givers and parents to establish “Smoke Free Zones” where children will not be exposed to tobacco smoke, specifically in the home and car. Let’s be clear, however, everyone’s health can benefit from reduced exposure to secondhand smoke.
“Breathing secondhand smoke can have immediate adverse effects on your blood and blood vessels, increasing the risk of having a heart attack.”
The functioning of the heart, blood and vascular systems are negatively impacted -
Blood platelets become sticker and the lining of blood vessels becomes damaged from brief exposure to secondhand smoke
“Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in adults who themselves have never smoked.”
Non-smokers increased the risk of lung cancer by 20-30% by being exposed to secondhand smoke -
34,000 lung cancer deaths among non-smokers per year in the US are attributed to exposure to secondhand smoke
“Non-Smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke are inhaling many of the same cancer-causing substances and poisons as smokers.”
There are more than 50 cancer causing chemicals in secondhand smoke. Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can damage cells to initiate the lung cancer process and some cell damage is non-reversible. -
The longer and the more intense the exposure to secondhand smoke the greater the risk of developing lung cancer.
“SIDS- the sudden unexplained, unexpected death of an infant in the first year of life-is the leading cause of death in otherwise healthy infants. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS.”
Pregnant women who smoke increase their risk of SIDS Infants who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of SIDS Chemicals in secondhand smoke can affect the part of an infant’s brain that regulates the child’s breathing -
Infants who die from SIDS have higher levels of nicotine in their lungs and higher levels of cotinine (an indicator of secondhand smoke exposure) than infants who die from other causes
Assessed on 7-10-2010 http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco |
|
