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Secondhand Smoke
A
burning cigarette is a health risk to everyone in the same room. The
scientific evidence of tobacco hazards is strongest for smokers. However,
research reveals that regular exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke also
threatens the health of nonsmokers. 37,000 to 40,000 people die from heart
and blood vessel disease caused by other people's smoke each year.
 Secondhand smoke, also
known as environmental tobacco smoke, is a mixture of side stream smoke from the
burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and smoke exhaled from the lungs of
smokers. About half the smoke generated from a cigarette is sidestream smoke. Sidestream
smoke contains essentially the same compounds as does smoke inhaled by the
smoker. Secondhand smoke contains substances that irritate the lining of the
lung and other tissues. It promotes genetic changes in cells and interferes
with cell development, raising the risk of certain cancers.
- A 1996 study published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association found detectable levels of
serum cotinine - a breakdown product of
nicotine - in nearly 9 of every 10 nonsmokers in a large, nationally
representative sample.
Research has
linked secondhand smoke to cardiovascular disease and many other chronic
disorders.
Secondhand
smoke and cardiovascular disorders
Researchers
are gathering evidence of the effect of secondhand smoke on the heart and
blood vessels. A small Japanese study looked at the effects of secondhand
smoke on circulation in young men. Exposure to secondhand smoke was
associated with reduced blood flow through the arteries feeding the heart.
One theory behind the finding is that secondhand smoke affects the function
of the cells that line the heart and blood vessels.
- A study of Swedish women and
men ages 45 to 70 found a higher risk of nonfatal heart attack among
those whose spouses smoked 20 or more cigarettes a day than among people
who were not exposed to secondhand smoke from their spouses. The risk
was higher for women.
- A study of 32,000 women who
were nurses found that regular exposure to secondhand smoke doubled
their risk of a heart attack. The study compared outcomes among nurses
who reported regular exposure to secondhand smoke at work and home with
those who reported no exposure. The study found the association between
heart attacks and secondhand smoke after accounting for many other
cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure or high
cholesterol.
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