Preventing Secondhand Smoke ExposureSecondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a mixture of chemicals produced from the burning of tobacco products. Exposure to secondhand smoke is sometimes called involuntary or passive smoking. Those who are exposed to secondhand smoke can develop lung cancer and are at an increased risk of developing heart disease.1 The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand smoke as a class A carcinogen that is known to cause cancer2 and estimates that in the United States, secondhand smoke exposure causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700-69,600 heart disease deaths annually among nonsmokers.3 In addition, secondhand smoke exposure is responsible for 150,000-300,000 new cases of bronchitis and pneumonia in children aged less than 18 months.4 According to United States Surgeon General, The good news is that secondhand smoke exposure is preventable. "A proven method exists for protecting nonsmokers from the health risks associated with secondhand smoke exposure: avoiding places where secondhand smoke is present. An important new conclusion of this Report is that smoke-free environments are the ONLY approach that effectively protects nonsmokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. The 1986 Surgeon General's Report concluded that the simple separation of smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space may reduce, but does not eliminate, secondhand smoke exposure among nonsmokers. The current Report expands on that finding by concluding that even sophisticated ventilation approaches cannot completely remove secondhand smoke from an indoor space. Because there is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure, anything less cannot ensure that nonsmokers are fully protected from the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke" 5 Related Pages: Sources: |
