Download this transcript (22KB)

A Cup of Health with CDC
December 1, 2006

[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.

[Matthew Reynolds] Welcome to A Cup of Health with CDC, a weekly broadcast
of the MMWR, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. I’m your host, Matthew
Reynolds.

How many times in a smoky restaurant or at work have you worried about the
effects of secondhand smoke? It is a health danger. Children who breathe
secondhand smoke have more frequent respiratory infections. Exposed adults
have a higher risk of heart disease and lung cancer.

How safe is your home or workplace? To answer this question, CDC researchers
surveyed adults about rules restricting smoking in their homes and workplaces.
Here to discuss the report is Joel London of CDC’s Office on Smoking and
Health.

Welcome to the show, Joel.

[Joel London] Thanks Matthew. It’s great to be here.

[Matthew Reynolds] I briefly mentioned the risks of secondhand smoke for both
children and adults at the start of the show. Can you give us a more complete
list?

[Joel London] Sure. In children secondhand smoke exposure causes low birth
weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS, more severe asthma, ear
infections, and acute respiratory infections. In nonsmoking adults, exposure to
secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system
and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

[Matthew Reynolds] According to your new study, about how many people are
smoking?

[Joel London] We use data from the National Health Interview Survey for national
estimates, and in 2005 the estimate of current smokers in the U.S. is 45.1 million
adults (18 yrs and older), or a rate of 20.9%.

[Matthew Reynolds] Most of us are concerned about avoiding secondhand
smoke. Where are we most likely to be exposed and are these locations the
same for adults and children?

[Joel London] Children are mostly exposed to secondhand smoke in the home
while adults are exposed in the home, work places, restaurants, bars, and
casinos, just to name a few. A staggering statistic—more than 126 million
nonsmoking Americans continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke in homes,
vehicles, workplaces, and public places.

[Matthew Reynolds] And how many families are restricting smoking in their
homes?

[Joel London] Well, among the 14 states in the survey, the median is 74% which
represents about 31 million households.

[Matthew Reynolds] Well, let’s assume that I have a close family member who
smokes. What kind of rules can I adopt to reduce my secondhand smoke
exposure?

[Joel London] It’s important to note that just this year, the Surgeon General
reported that only complete elimination of smoking in indoor places can fully
protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure. The most protective rule
is no smoking inside the home—so we ask that you ask your friends and loved
ones to take it outside.

[Matthew Reynolds] Well, let’s talk about smoking in the workplace. How
common are smoke-free workplaces?

[Joel London] Among the 14 states in the survey, the median for smoke-free
workplaces is 73%, which represents about 14.5 million smoke-free workplaces
in the U.S.

[Matthew Reynolds] What kinds of policies can we adopt in our workplaces to
make them safer?

[Joel London] Half-measures like designated smoking rooms won’t get you where
you want to go, because there is no safe level of secondhand smoke. Only 100
percent smoke-free policies fully protect workers’ health. These policies also offer
the greatest support to smokers trying to quit.

Smoke-free policies usually take one of two forms:

• First, 100 percent smoke-free in all indoor areas, including company
  vehicles,
• And second, 100 percent smoke-free in all indoor and outdoor areas,
  which is often called a smoke-free campus policy.

[Matthew Reynolds] The government set a national objective of reducing adult
smoking to 12% by the year 2010. Are we on our way to achieving that goal?

[Joel London] Unfortunately, the rate of decline is not fast enough for most states
to the meet the national health objective of 12% or less by 2010. However, if we
fully implement evidence-based strategies that increase tobacco use cessation
and decrease initiation of tobacco use, we can get back on track.

[Matthew Reynolds] Well thanks Joel, for taking the time to discuss an issue that
I’m sure is important to many of our listeners.

[Joel London] Thanks for having me.

[Matthew Reynolds] That’s it for this week’s show. Don’t forget to join us next
week. Until then, be well. This is Matthew Reynolds for A Cup of Health with
CDC.

[Announcer] To access the most accurate and relevant health information that
affects you, your family, and your community, please visit www.cdc.gov.