Eighth: Secondhand Smoke

New Surgeon General’s Report Focuses on the Effects of Secondhand Smoke

"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."

This quote from "New Surgeon General’s Report Focuses on the Effects of Secondhand Smoke" shows me that the government is concerned with the dangers of smoke.

New Surgeon General’s Report Focuses on the Effects of Secondhand Smoke.. 5 Mar 2007

Fifth: "Statewide Smoking Ban Likely"

"A statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants is likely to win approval from the Maryland General Assembly this year, legislative leaders say, as the number of counties that have adopted local versions of the proposad law comtinues to grow.

It's something that's destined to pass," House Speaker Michael Busche said.

Senate Presidnet Thomas Mike Miller also said ther is " a good chance is't going to pass this year." He added, It's certainly gor a lot of support in my own fanily, from my wife and my children."

" A Stateside van has failed for four consecutive sessions, and it still faces fierce opposition, notably from the Restaurant Association os Maryland and other industry groups. But the idea is gaining momentym as more local jurisdictions enact bans of their own."
"The ban's proponents say they have veen embolened by the U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona's report last year on the dangers of secondhand smoke. Carmona said the evidence is now "indisputible: that is a public health hazard. Also last year, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health releaseda study estimationg the costs of secondhand smoke in Maryand at nearly $600 million a year in doctor bills and lost wages."
" Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, a Democrat who represents a former tobacco county in Southern Maryland, said he doesn't preceive "a real strong sense of urgency" to pass a statewide ban because of moves to pass local bans. As chairman of the Finance Committee where the ban has been considered, Middleton said he might wait to see what happens in the House, where a committee voted it down last year, before talking any action."

Lobbyists from the restaurant association and the Baltimore Licensed Beverage Association both state that the ban will kill small business. Restaurant and bar owners will be hurt by this ban because " People come in and they want to have a drink and a smoke. It's all about choice. Individual proprietors can say they want to be somke-free, but a blanket statewide law would certainly hurt small businesses," Frank D, Boston III, a lobbyist for the Baltimore Licensed Beverage Association said.

1. Why do some senators think the ban will pass this year, when it has failed in the previous years?
2. If the ban is passed, will the bar's business remain steady?


Smitherman, Laura and Green, Andrew. "Statewide Smoking Ban Likely." Baltimore Sun: 1A

Fourth: "Smoking Ban in China"

"China starts this year off in a healthy way. Starting at the new year with a ban on smoking.



By Dikky Sinn, Associated Press | January 1, 2007
HONG KONG -- Hong Kong will become a mostly smoke-free city starting today, when a ban on lighting up in many public spaces, inside and out, comes into force. The prohibition is highly unusual in smoke-happy Asia.
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The ban covers restaurants, workplaces, schools, and karaoke lounges, and extends to outdoor places such as beaches, sports grounds, and parts of public parks.
The strict antismoking laws are extremely rare in Asia, home to some of the heaviest smoking populations in the world. Among the continent's major cities, Singapore is the only one with a similar law.
Amy Choi, a 27-year-old law student, supports the smoking ban because, she said, she dislikes breathing in secondhand smoke, even though she enjoys a puff when she drinks.
"I don't like people smoking next to me. It's so smoky and smelly," she said in an interview, apparently backing the ban.
Robert Hyde, an Australian who has smoked for more than 10 years, said the ban would not stop him from returning.
"If I need to smoke, then I'll smoke outside the restaurant and then go back to enjoy my meal. It's easy," Hyde said.
But Leung Kwok-hung, a lawmaker who opposed the measure, said a complete ban is unnecessary. "Smoking is not permitted in many of the outdoor areas. The coverage is so large but the smoking area is so limited," he said.
Hong Kong's lawmakers passed the law in October after a marathon 12-hour debate.
The stiffest opposition came from restaurants and the entertainment industry, where smoking is most prevalent.
Leung said the government should have allowed businesses to install filtration and ventilation systems. "It's ridiculous that the government is not allowing restaurateurs to use those enhancement facilities to maintain a smoking area in their restaurants," he said.
Antismoking groups pushed for the measure in Hong Kong, one of the most modern and affluent cities in Asia.
Smoking is common here, but is not as popular as in other parts of Asia.
The United States and European countries have instituted bans on smoking in recent years; it is rare to find an indoor US facility that permits smoking.
By next summer, smoking will be outlawed in all British pubs, cafés, offices, and public places.
Several American states and cities, Ireland, Finland, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Sweden have restricted smoking in similar locales, as have New Zealand and South Africa.
Hong Kong's ban does not yet include nightclubs, bars, mah-jongg parlors, bathhouses, or massage establishments. These venues have until July 1, 2009, to implement the new Hong Kong law."
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.

China has also started this year off with a smoking ban, and once again, the ones who oppose the ban are mainly the restaurant owners.Some states that the ban is not necessary saying that smoking is common, but Leung Kwok-hung, a lawmaker, states, "Smoking is not permitted in many of the outdoor areas. The coverage is so large but the smoking area is so limited."

1. If smoking is not permitted in many outdoor areas, why have the ban?
2. Will the restaurant owners have the chance to sign for a waiver?


Dikky Sinn. "Hong Kong begins year with ban on public smoking." The Boston Globe. 1 Jan 2007.

"Hong Kong begins year with ban on public smoking." The Boston Globe. 20 Jan 2007

Sixth: "Smoking and Teens Fact Sheet"

"Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence produces significant health problems among young people, including cough and phlegm production, an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses, decreased physical fitness, an unfavorable lipid profile and potential retardation in the rate of lung growth and the level of maximum lung function. Most importantly this is when an addiction forms which often persists into adulthood. "

"-Each day, 6,000 children under 18 years of age smoke their first cigarette. Almost 2,000 of them will become regular smokers - that's 757,000 annually.
-After a dramatic increase in teen cigar smoking throughout the 80s and early 90s cigar smoking declined 30% since 1997. In 2004, 12.8 percent of high school students and 5.2 percent of middle school students were current cigar users.
-In 2004, 6.0 percent of all high school students and 2.9 percent of middle school students used smokeless tobacco.
-Although smokeless tobacco use previously was uncommon among adolescents, older teens began using it between 1970 and 1985, at the same time that the smokeless tobacco industry was strengthening their marketing efforts.
-Other tobacco products used by high school and middle school students includes pipes (3.1% and 2.6%), bidisI (2.6% and 2.3%) and kreteksII (2.3% and 1.5%).
-Tobacco use is associated with alcohol and illicit drug use, and acts as a "gateway drug." Adolescents (12-17 year olds) who reported having smoked in the past 30 days were three times more likely to use alcohol, eight times more likely to smoke marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine, within those past 30 days than those 12-17 year olds who had not smoked during that time.
-Tobacco use in adolescence is also associated with a range of other risky, health-compromising behaviors, including being involved in fights, carrying weapons, engaging in high-risk sexual behavior, and using alcohol and other drugs.
-People who begin smoking at an early age are more likely to develop severe levels of nicotine addiction than those who start at a later age. Of adolescents who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, most of them report that they would like to quit, but are not able to do so.
-In 2000, 59 percent of high school and 60 percent of middle school students who smoked seriously tried to quit smoking. In 2003, 61 percent of high school students said they wanted to stop smoking and 54 percent seriously tried to quit.
-Peers, siblings, and friends are powerful influences. The most common situation for first trying a cigarette is with a friend who already smokes.
-Youth who have two parents who smoke are more than twice as likely as youth without smoking parents to become smokers. More than 6 million youth (23 percent) are exposed to secondhand smoke daily, and more than 10 million youth aged 12 to 18 live in a household with at least one smoker.
-Among middle school students who were current smokers, 71% reported never being asked to show proof of age when buying cigarettes in a store, and 66% were not refused purchase because of their age.
-The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement prohibited tobacco companies from advertising their product in markets that target people younger than 18 years of age. However, this ban has not sufficiently accomplished its intended goal of curtailing tobacco exposure in children.
-Cigarette advertisements tend to emphasize youthful vigor, sexual attraction and independence themes, which appeal to teenagers and young adults struggling with these issues. A recent study found that 34% of teens begin smoking as a result of tobacco company promotional activities.
-Another study found that 52 percent of teens with non-smoking parents started smoking because of exposure to smoking in movies."



American Lung Association. 22 Jan.2007

Second Artifact: Smoking Ban

Shortly after the nationwide ban on public smoking went into effect in Scotland, the pub workers in Scotland breathed easier, scientists said. Daniel Menzies and his collegues indentified 90 non smoking workers at 41 randomly chosen bars in Dundee and Perth.

Before the smoking ban was set in place in March, researchers met each participant one month to test the volunteer's breathing, sample their blood and note their health. The researchers continued the tests one and two months after the ban was set. One month after the ban was set, only 41 had shortness of breath, eye irritation, and a running nose. This number was decreased slightly from the 61 who reported these symptoms before the ban, and continued to decrease the next month, the researchers report in the "Oct. 11 Journal of the American Medical Association."

The people who worked at pubs also took tests. One showed that the workers had less white blood cells in the bloodstreams two months after the ban was set than before. This showed reduced inflammation. The second test calculated the workers' breath for nitric oxide, a gas that is made by inflammation in the lungs. Workers who were in good health showed no change after the ban, "but bar workers with asthma showed a 20 percent drop in expelled nitric oxide by 1 month afterward."

Even though the ban makes the workers and bar-goers healthier, the bar and restaurant owners are opposed to the ban, saying it will cut into their profits. The bars owners who strongly oppose the ban can sign for a waiver to allow smoking in their bars.

Questions:
1. If the ban in Scotland worked well, why didn't the US have one set before?
2. Wouldn't the ban help the bar owners increase profit because more people are against smoking?
3. Why would the ban affect the bar owners that much when they can get a waiver?
Galenet

Seppa, N. "Smoke out: bartenders' lungs appreciate ban.(Scotland bans smoking in public places)." Science News 170.16 (Oct 14, 2006): 243(1). Student Resource Center - Gold. Thomson Gale. Centennial High School (MD). 12 Dec. 2006
.

Third Artifact: Effects of Smoking on Teens

After reading facts on smoking from http://www.cdc.gov, I have learned that teens who smoke have lower lung growth and are more likely to use harder drugs.

"Teens who smoke are three times more likely to use alcohol, eight times more likely to use marijuana, and twenty-two times more likely to use cocaine," as stated by the Surgeon General, from 1994.

Teen smokers are affected by their surroundings. If teens have parents who smoke, they are more likely to smoke and become addicted to nicotine. Also, teens who start smoking early, continue to smoke throughout their adult years and are more likely to develop lung cancer and other smoking related cancers.

"The resting heart rates of young adult smokers are two to three beats per minute faster than nonsmokers."
"Smoking hurts young people's physical fitness in terms of both performance and endurance—even among young people trained in competitive running."
"Teenage smokers suffer from shortness of breath almost three times as often as teens who don't smoke..."

Smoking affects the heart and lungs. The tar from the cigarettes impact how the lung functions. The tar from the cigarettes can cause the lungs to funtion at a much lower rate and can lead to lung cancer. Also, because the heart has to work harder, the heart can become overworked and fail, causing a heart attack.

Questions:
1. What makes the smokers try to take on harder drugs?
2. If teenagers know these statistics, would they still try smoking?
3. Does their surroundings affect their habits, too?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 9 Jan. 2007 .


parents-smoke
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2005. 12 December 2006

Ist artifact

The site is mainly about the causes of lung cancer. Smoking tobacco leads to more than 8 of 10 cases of lung cancer. The longer a person smokes, the higher the chance of getting lung cancer. If they stop smoking before the lung cancer can develop, the lung tissue returns to normal. Second hand smoke is also dangerous. Spouses of smokers have a 30% higher chance of developing lung cancer than spouses of non- smokers. There are low tar cigarettes, but there is no evidence of the cigarettes reducing the risk of lung cancer. Also, when it comes to smoking and family history, are both risk factors, but smoking is the only controllable factor.

http://www.cancer.org helped me understand who is affected by smokers. The site also gave me statistics I can use in my paper.

Questions:
1. How long does it take for lung cancer to take effect?
2. Why do smokers continue smoking when they know cigarettes can kill them?
3. What is the most dangerous element in cigarettes?

American Cancer Society. 6 December 2006