Second Hand Smoke

Research

Adolescents’ perceptions of secondhand smoke risks
A study in the July 2005 issue of Preventive Medicine examined whether adolescents' risk estimates when exposed to secondhand smoke differed by: (1) actual smoking experience and (2) adolescents' intentions to smoke in the near future. Researchers found that although adolescents were aware of the serious risks posed by exposure to secondhand smoke, those who smoke or intend to smoke were more likely to perceive the risks as lower. Click to view the abstract.

Exposure to secondhand smoke linked to youth smoking initiation
An article in the August 2005 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal investigated predictors of youth smoking. Salivary cotinine levels, which measure the absorption of nicotine from secondhand smoke, was predictive of becoming a teenage smoker, even after controlling for numerous other factors. Click to view the complete article.

Patient counseling about dangers of secondhand smoke urged
In light of new evidence about the dangers of secondhand smoke, the authors of a study examining behavior-based means of reducing the risks of tobacco use propose new clinical counseling guidelines for the existing 5As model recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The physicians conclude that, given the known health risks of secondhand smoke, patient counseling surrounding these dangers is important. The statement can be found in the September/October issue of Families, Systems & Health. Click for more information.

New study shows Ireland's smoke-free law supported by smokers
A study published in Tobacco Control as a part of the International Tobacco Control Policy Project confirms the success of Ireland's smoke-free workplace law, finding that even smokers overwhelmingly support the law. Eighty-three percent of Irish smokers in a nationwide survey said the law was a "good" or "very good" thing, and support for the smoke-free law among smokers - including support for prohibiting smoking in restaurants and pubs - has grown dramatically since the law was implemented, the study found. On March 29, 2004, the Republic of Ireland became the first country in the world to implement a comprehensive smoke-free law covering all workplaces, including restaurants and pubs/bars. In addition to the strong and growing support from smokers, the new study found that the Irish law has led to a dramatic decline in smoking in all workplaces and an increase in the proportion of Irish homes that are smoke-free. It also found that nearly half of Irish smokers reported that the law had made them more likely to quit. Click to view the study.

No “safe” level of exposure to tobacco smoke
Researchers have found that exposure to four of the most common environmental toxins, including tobacco smoke, can seriously damage health even at very low levels. The researchers conclude that that there are simply no safe levels of exposure to these toxins and they must be "virtually eliminated to protect human health." Click to view the report.

California Air Resources Board releases report linking ETS to various health effects
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released a report linking environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) to a variety of health effects ranging from asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and increased incidences of breast cancer in non-smoking pre-menopausal women. Click to view the complete report.

Secondhand smoke exposure can harm fetus
A University of Pittsburgh study shows that secondhand smoke may be as damaging to a fetus as if the mother were inhaling the smoke directly from a cigarette. The researcher examined umbilical-cord blood samples from newborns and discovered that secondhand smoke can cause genetic mutations that are indistinguishable from those found in mothers who smoke. The study was published in the online journal BMC Pediatrics. Click for more information.

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Tobacco Control Legal Consortium publishes report on secondhand smoke and the family courts
The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium has published a report titled “Secondhand Smoke and the Family Courts: The Role of Smoke Exposure in Custody and Visitation Decisions.” The resource provides an overview of when and how family courts have considered a child’s exposure to secondhand smoke when making custody and visitation decisions. Click to view the complete report.

Presentations on smoke-free apartment policies available
The Smoke-Free Environments Legal Project has developed a PowerPoint presentation on local approaches to promoting smoke-free apartment policies, and a presentation regarding how public housing officials can adopt smoke-free apartment policies for their buildings.

EPA develops smoke-free homes placemat
The Environmental Protection Agency has created an English/Spanish "Keep Your Home and Car Smoke-free" placemat, useful for outreach activities in child care centers and schools. Click to access the placements and other promotional materials.

ANR launches smoke-free music and casino website
Americans for Nonsmokers Rights has developed a web page listing smoke-free music venues and musicians who support smoke-free air. Also available are a smokefree comedy site and a smokefree casinos site.

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Minnesota:
 
Dramatic decrease in indoor air pollution in Hennepin County
A study commissioned by the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) demonstrated a 99% decrease in indoor air pollution caused by secondhand smoke three months after Hennepin County’s comprehensive smokefree air ordinance went into effect on March 31st. In Ramsey County, where a less restrictive ordinance was implemented, indoor air pollution dropped by only 30%. Click for more information.

North Carolina:
 
350 restaurants in North Carolina’s Triangle are smoke-free
Officials have identified approximately 350 Triangle restaurants that are voluntarily smoke-free. Wake, Durham and Orange counties are compiling registries of smoke-free restaurants and providing decals for restaurants to display that denote them as smoke-free establishments. Click for more information.

Rhode Island:
 
Rhode Island smoking ban improves air quality and sales
During the first four months of Rhode Island’s statewide smoking ban, which took effect on March 1st, tax revenues from restaurants and bars rose by 21%, compared to the same period the previous year. At the same time, air quality has improved dramatically, with the average number of tiny particles suspended in the air decreasing by 96%. Click for more information.

Wisconsin:
 
Non-smoking bartenders in Madison suffer respiratory symptoms
Bars in Madison, Wisconsin that allow smoking are seeing a higher incidence of respiratory symptoms in their bartenders than those who work in smokefree establishments. A survey of nearly 700 Madison bartenders, conducted in May and June of this year by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, found that about half are nonsmokers. Those who work in smoky bars were more likely to report five different symptoms: red or irritated eyes; coughing in the morning; coughing during the rest of the day; runny nose or sneezing; and a sore or scratchy throat. The results were presented to the City Council during a discussion related to a smoking ban that became effective July 1st. Click for more information.

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