Secondhand Smoke

Research

Mother’s smoking increases daughter’s pancreatic cancer risk
Researchers from Harvard University and Imperial College London reviewed pancreatic cancer rates in the Nurses’ Health Study and found that a woman who smokes during pregnancy and motherhood is likely to boost her daughter’s odds of developing pancreatic cancer. Although women in the study whose mothers smoked were more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, exposure to a father or other family member’s smoking was not associated with an increase in pancreatic cancer risk. The research suggests a possibility that a fetus or a child’s exposure to secondhand smoke might set in motion some biological process that puts that female child at risk for the disease. The study was published in the August issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Click here for more about the study. Click here to read the abstract of the research.

The effect of smoke-free homes on adult smoking behavior: A review
A recent review article found that smokers who live in a smoke-free home are more likely to make a quit attempt and to abstain from smoking. In longitudinal studies, smokers had a modest but significant decrease in cigarette consumption at follow-up. These findings suggest that smokefree home policies not only decrease residents’ exposure to secondhand smoke, but also positively impact smokers’ behavior. Therefore, the researchers recommend that the promotion of smoke-free homes should be a key element of tobacco control programs. The study was published online in Nicotine & Tobacco Research in July. Click here to read the abstract of the research.

Indoor concentrations of nicotine in low-income, multi-family housing: Associations with smoking behaviors and housing characteristics
A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health has found that tobacco smoke contamination in low-income multi-family housing in Boston was not limited to residences where smokers were living or visiting. Data from a questionnaire administered to residents and from air quality monitoring suggested that tobacco smoke wafts into the homes of nonsmokers. These findings highlight the need to enact regulations on smoking in multi-family housing, and to address involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke among residents of low-income housing. Click here to read the abstract of the study in Tobacco Control.

Smokers' cars loaded with nicotine: Levels twice those found in places that permit smoking, study suggests
New research suggests that passengers riding in a car with a smoker are exposed to nicotine levels more double the levels found in restaurants and bars where smoking is permitted. Air quality monitoring showed that for every cigarette smoked inside a vehicle, there was a 1.96-fold increase in air-nicotine concentrations after adjusting for vehicle characteristics and sampling time. This study illustrates the potential impact of smokefree policies for vehicles, and highlights a need for smoke-free education campaigns. Click here for more information, or click here to read the abstract of the study in Tobacco Control.

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Reports

Kids launch campaign against second hand smoke (MN)
The American Lung Association in Minnesota teamed up with children from the “Mind 2 Mind” summer camp program to launch a Tobacco-Free DTA (Duluth Transit Authority) campaign called “Let Us Breathe.”  The children administered over 200 five-question surveys around the local transit centers about secondhand smoke. Eighty seven percent of the respondents recognized that smoking around children at bus stations was a problem and 75% wanted to see a change. The DTA is currently working with the city’s attorney office to draft an ordinance that will reduce children’s exposure to secondhand smoke. Click here to learn more about the children’s campaign.

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International

Smokers support car bans (New Zealand)
New research indicates that smokers across all socioeconomic and ethnic groups support a ban on smoking in cars with pre-school children. According to the survey administered in 2007-2008, a minimum of 92% of smokers across all groups agreed smoking should not be allowed in cars with pre-school children. The lead author of this research stated that the latest analysis adds further reason for parliament to implement a ban on smoking in cars. The country is lagging behind 11 states and provinces in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. which have all passed laws protecting children from smoking in cars. Read more about the study here. The research was published in the August 7 issue of The New Zealand Medical Journal.

Smoking parents putting children’s health at risk (U.K.)
Although parents who smoke put their children put their children’s health at risk due to secondhand smoke exposure, some smokers are unable or unwilling to quit. As a result, Smoke-free Somerset Alliance is launching a new campaign which will encourage parents to protect their children from secondhand smoke by smoking outside, rather than in their homes or cars. The Alliance is first providing information and support on smokefree homes and cars at a launch in Yeovil, and the campaign will spread to other venues in Somerset County. Click here to read more about the campaign.

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