Secondhand Smoke: The Basics of Secondhand Smoke and Its Effect on Human Health
Tuesday September 4, 2007
Even if you're a nonsmoker, cigarettes (or cigars or pipes) may be hazardous to your health, because of the secondhand smoke you end up inhaling whenever you are around people who are smoking. Learn more about secondhand smoke and how you can protect yourself and your family from its serious health effects. Photo courtesy of Carlos
Comments
Very true. If only the addicts were considerate of others’ health, including that of their own children who will get it genetically as well as in the atmosphere, they might be less militant about right to smoke and more inclined to admit others’ right to life and health.
People do have a right to smoke…here in the free world. Ones health is largely up to the individual. Don’t make it anyone else’s responsibility.
And ironically I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting very many healthy smoke nazi’s. So health seems to be a secondary issue to something far deeper.
Yes, people do have a right to smoke, but nonsmokers (including millions of children) also have a right to breathe clean air that hasn’t been contaminated by tobacco smoke and the hundreds of toxic and cancer-causing chemicals it contains. The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that only smoke-free environments can prevent nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke that could lead to disease and premature death.
Breathing secondhand smoke is involuntary. So while smokers do have the right to smoke, they don’t have the right to impose that choice–and the associated health consequences–on nonsmokers.
Thank you for bringing such an important issue to our attention. Secondhand smoke has been a silent killer for far too long. I can’t think of any other product that admits it is harmful to human health and contains hazardous chemicals proven to kill human beings, yet is still allowed to be marketed and sold in the United States. At the very least, there needs to be strong restrictions regarding the use of tobacco in public places where second-hand smoke affects the air we breathe.
My family and I reside in the state of Ohio. Employed by Tobacco-Free Ohio (http://smokefreeohio.org/oh), my wife was at the forefront of the American Cancer Society’s Issue 5 campaign (The Smoke-Free Workplace Act), which protects everyone’s right to breathe smoke-free air, including those in bars and restaurants. My children and I stood proudly by her side and did everything we could to help educate people about the proven health hazards caused by secondhand smoke.
Issue 4 – a pro-smoking Constitutional amendment led by RJ Reynolds and the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association – was launched under the smoke-screened name of Smoke Less Ohio in an attempt defeat The Smoke-Free Workplace Act. If passed, the amendment would deny Constitutional protections to hundreds of thousands of workers across the state, carve out exemptions for a long list of businesses, and fail to protect large categories of workers from exposure to secondhand smoke. Additionally, it would overturn the 21 strong smoke-free public policies already in effect in Ohio, replace them with a weak statewide law, and prohibit communities from passing any local smoke-free laws. (Note: In an attempt to confuse ballots in Arizona and Nevada, R.J. Reynolds named their campaigns the “Arizona Non-Smoker Protection Act” and “Responsibly Protect Nevadans from Secondhand Smoke.”)
I witnessed first-hand deliberate lies and half-truths put forth by many supporters of Issue 4. While collecting signatures to put Issue 4 on the November ballot, one person said it was a coalition to stop police brutality. Not true. Issue 4 is a pro-smoking Constitutional amendment. In another example, RJ Reynolds sponsored radio ads stating that Issue 5 would cost taxpayers lots of money and turn our law enforcement agencies into “tobacco police.” Not true. Issue 5 would be enforced by Ohio’s Department of Health, and would be funded by fines they collect.
On November 7, 2006, Ohio voters soundly rejected R.J. Reynold’s Issue 4 and strongly supported the American Cancer Society’s Issue 5. “This is a resounding victory for SmokeFreeOhio and a historic step towards improving the health of Ohio workers and customers.” Shortly after the announcement, Arizona and Nevada passed state-wide laws very similar to Ohio’s.
To date, 17 states have passed a strong, state-wide smoke-free law. The list includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Montana, Utah, Vermont and Washington State. Several countries have smoke-free laws, including Italy, Ireland and Scotland.
There is much more to say regarding this topic, and much more work to be done to protect everyone’s right to breathe clean air while indoors. I urge everyone to learn as much as they can about this important topic and get involved in their area. Your local American Cancer Society office would be a great place to start.
(I may forget to monitor this post, so please know that I am not ignoring or avoiding future comments that may ask for a reply.)
I simply find it nauseating – while most smokers are polite and make the attempt to not intrude in public places, those minority that don’t just make me sick.