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. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at
home or work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30
percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent. The finding is of major
public health concern due to the fact that nearly half of all nonsmoking
Americans are still regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.
The report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco
Smoke, finds that even brief secondhand smoke exposure can cause
immediate harm. The report says the only way to protect nonsmokers from
the dangerous chemicals in secondhand smoke is to eliminate smoking
indoors.
"The report is a crucial warning sign to nonsmokers and smokers alike,"
HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt said. ``Smoking can sicken and kill, and
even people who do not smoke can be harmed by smoke from those who do."
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 finds.
"The health effects of secondhand smoke exposure are more pervasive than
we previously thought," said Surgeon General 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."
Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals, and is
itself a known human carcinogen. Nonsmokers who are exposed to
secondhand smoke inhale many of the same toxins as smokers. Even brief
exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the
cardiovascular system and increases risk for heart disease and lung
cancer, the report says. In addition, the report notes that because the
bodies of infants and children are still developing, they are especially
vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke.
"The good news is that, unlike some public health hazards, secondhand
smoke exposure is easily prevented," Surgeon General Carmona said.
"Smoke-free indoor environments are proven, simple approaches that
prevent exposure and harm." The report finds that even the most
sophisticated ventilation systems cannot completely eliminate secondhand
smoke exposure and that only smoke-free environments afford full
protection.
Surgeon General Carmona noted that levels of cotinine -- a biological
marker for secondhand smoke exposure -- measured in nonsmokers have
fallen by 70 percent since the late 1980s, and the proportion of
nonsmokers with detectable cotinine levels has been halved from 88
percent in 1988-91 to 43 percent in 2001-02.
"Our progress over the past 20 years in clearing the air of tobacco
smoke is a major public health success story," Surgeon General Carmona
said. "We have averted many thousands of cases of disease and early
death and saved millions of dollars in health care costs." He
emphasized, however, that sustained efforts are required to protect the
more than 126 million Americans who continue to be regularly exposed to
secondhand smoke in the home, at work, and in enclosed public spaces.
To help communicate the report findings as widely as possible, the
Surgeon General unveiled an easy-to-read guide with practical
information on the dangers of secondhand smoke and steps people can take
to protect themselves.
Copies of The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco
Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General and related materials are
available on the Surgeon General's Web site at
www.surgeongeneral.gov.
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