7.0 PRSR 01-13-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke 6 Major Conclusions of the Surgeon General Report Smoking is the single greatest avoidable cause of disease and death. In this report, The Health Consequences of /nvo/untary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon Genera/, the Surgeon General has concluded that: t. 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. Supporting Evidence • Levels of a chemical called cotinine, a biomarker of secondhand smoke exposure, fell by 70 percent from 1988-91 to 2001-02. In national surveys, however, 43 percent of U.S. nonsmokers still have detectable levels of cotinine. • Almost 60 percent of U.S. children aged 3-11 years-or almost 22 million children-are exposed to secondhand smoke. • Approximately 30 percent of indoor workers in the United States are not covered by smoke-free workplace policies. 2. Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke. Supporting Evidence • Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer-causing), including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. • Secondhand smoke has been designated as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) by the EPA, National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has concluded that secondhand smoke is an occupational carcinogen. 3. 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. Supporting Evidence • Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are inhaling many of the same cancer-causing substances and poisons as smokers. Because their bodies are developing, infants and young children are especially vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke. • Both babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant and babies who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than babies who are not exposed to cigarette smoke. • Babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant or who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth have weaker lungs than unexposed babies, which increases the risk for many health problems • Among infants and children, secondhand smoke cause bronchitis and pneumonia, and increases the risk of ear infections. • Secondhand smoke exposure can cause children who already have asthma to experience more frequent and severe attacks.