|
| View by Topic |  |
|
|
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
|
-
What is secondhand smoke (environmental tobacco smoke)?
Secondhand smoke, which is also called environmental tobacco smoke or ETS, is a mixture of sidestream smoke and mainstream smoke. Sidestream smoke is the smoke released from the burning end of a cigarette pipe, cigar, bidi, or kretek or that seeps from the mouthpiece of one of these products. Mainstream smoke is the smoke that is exhaled by the smoker.
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds. Secondhand smoke contains many of the same chemicals that are present in the smoke inhaled by smokers. The National Toxicology Program estimates that at least 250 chemicals in secondhand smoke are known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer causing).
People’s exposure to secondhand smoke is greater than many realize. People are exposed to secondhand smoke in homes, workplaces, vehicles, and in public areas such as restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, and casinos.
Levels of a chemical called cotinine, a biomarker of secondhand smoke exposure, fell by 70% from 1988-1991 to 2001-2002. However, national surveys show that 47% of U.S. nonsmokers still have detectable levels of cotinine. Almost 60% of U.S. children aged 3 to 11 years are exposed to secondhand smoke.
Resources:
CDC Smoking & Tobacco Use Web Site: Secondhand Smoke
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/index.htm
Title: What Is Secondhand Smoke?
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet1.html
Title: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the
Surgeon General
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
Title: Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure-Excerpts from The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2007
Source: CDC
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/smokeexposure/
Title: Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals: Tobacco Smoke
Source: CDC NCEH
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/3rd/
Title: Effects of Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Source: National Cancer Institute
http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/10/m10_1.pdf
Title: Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition )Tobacco Related Exposures Section)
Source: National Toxicology Program, NIH
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/eleventh/profiles/s176toba.pdf
Title: Cancer Trends Progress Report – 2005 Update
Source: National Cancer Institute
http://progressreport.cancer.gov/doc_detail.asp?pid=1&did=2005&chid=21&coid=212&mid=#estimate
Environmental Protection Agency Web site: Smoke-free Homes Program
http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/
Back
to Top
-
Are odors and residue from secondhand smoke harmful?
The odor of tobacco smoke on a smoker’s clothing or hair or the stale smoke odor that lingers in vehicles and spaces where people smoke can be extremely unpleasant to nonsmokers. Harmful residues from secondhand smoke may be present in areas where no one is currently smoking. Smoke-free rules in homes and vehicles substantially reduce secondhand smoke exposure among children and nonsmoking adults, but do not totally eliminate their exposure.
A study of households with at least one child under three years of age found that infants who live in homes with a smoker have higher levels of nicotine in their bodies than infants who do not live with a smoker, even when smoking only occurs outside the home. A possible explanation is that secondhand smoke may enter the house in the air, on dust particles, or on the smoker’s breath or clothing. Nicotine levels in household dust, air, and on household surfaces were higher in smokers’ homes, even those who did smoke inside.
According to the 2006 Surgeon General’s Report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth. Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
Resources:
Title: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
Title: Sabemos
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/sabemos/index.htm
Title: Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure-Excerpts from The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2007
Source: CDC
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/smokeexposure/
CDC Environmental Health Web Site: Asthma
http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm
Title: How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones from Secondhand Smoke
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet3.html
Title: There is No Risk-Free Level of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet7.html
CDC Healthy Youth Web Site: Asthma
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/asthma/
Environmental Protection Agency Web site: Smoke-free Homes Program
http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/
Back
to Top
-
What are key reports and sources of data on the health effects of secondhand smoke?
The scientific evidence on the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke is abundant and clear: exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer and heart disease in nonsmoking adults, and it increases the risk for sudden infant death syndrome, bronchitis, pneumonia, and other serious respiratory conditions in children.
Some of the key reports and articles that document findings concerning health effects associated with secondhand smoke exposure in the U.S. population are listed under Resources. Also refer to the Secondhand Smoke section of the Smoking & Tobacco Use Web site, and the Key Studies section of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights' Web site.
Resources:
Title: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
Title: Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure-Excerpts from The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2007
Source: CDC
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/smokeexposure/
Title: Report on Carcinogens, 11th Edition
Source: National Toxicology Program
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=72016262-BDB7-CEBA-FA60E922B18C2540
Title: National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, Third Edition
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport
Title: Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Lung Disease by Lung Association Territory–2005
Source: American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org/atf/cf/{7A8D42C2-FCCA-4604-8ADE-7F5D5E762256}/ESTPREV05.PDF
Title: Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Volume 83: Tobacco Smoke and Involuntary Smoking (2004)
Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer
http://www-cie.iarc.fr/htdocs/monographs/vol83/02-involuntary.html
Title: Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph 10: Health Effects of Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Source: NCI
http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/10/index.html
Title: Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/publications.html
CDC Smoking & Tobacco Use Web site: Secondhand Smoke
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/index.htm
Title: Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air Contaminant.
(Final report released September 29, 2005, approved by Scientific Review Panel on June 24, 2005.)
Source: California Environmental Protection Agency
ftp://ftp.arb.ca.gov/carbis/regact/ets2006/app3exe.pdf
Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights Web Site: Key Studies
http://www.no-smoke.org/getthefacts.php?id=18
Back
to Top
-
How can I reduce my risks for secondhand smoke exposure?
The best way to protect yourself and your family from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke is to avoid exposure whenever possible. The Surgeon General has concluded that the only way to fully protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of secondhand smoke is through 100% smoke-free environments. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot completely eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.
To protect yourself and your loved ones, make your home and vehicles smoke-free, ask people not to smoke around you and your children, make sure that your children’s day care center or school is smoke-free, and choose restaurants and other businesses that are smoke-free.
If you live with a smoker who is not interested in quitting, the simplest and most effective solution is to ask the smoker to go outside to smoke. This measure will not completely eliminate your exposure to secondhand smoke, but it will significantly reduce it. Some studies report that smoke-free home rules also help smokers quit and reduce the risk of adolescents becoming smokers.
Resources:
CDC Smoking & Tobacco Use Web Site: Secondhand Smoke
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/index.htm
Title: How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones from Secondhand Smoke
Source U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet3.html
Title: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of Surgeon General
Source CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
Title: Sabemos
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/sabemos/index.htm
Title: Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure-Excerpts from The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2007
Source: CDC
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/smokeexposure/
Environmental Protection Agency Web site: Smoke-free Homes Program
http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/
EPA Indoor Air Quality Clearinghouse
Telephone: 1-800-438-4318; (703) 356-4020
Fax: 703-356-5386
E-mail: iaqinfo@aol.com
Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights
http://www.no-smoke.org
510-841-3032
Back
to Top
-
What can I do if smoke from a neighbor's residence or from a common area enters my home?
The Surgeon General concluded that the operation of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system can distribute secondhand smoke throughout a building. Secondhand smoke exposure from “shared air spaces” within a building is of concern, as a significant proportion of the population lives in apartment buildings or condominiums where smoking in another part of the building might increase tobacco smoke exposure for households of nonsmokers.
It is well established by scientific research that secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke or ETS) is harmful to your health. Although the risk is highest for people with direct exposure (i.e., those who live with a smoker or work where people are allowed to smoke), tobacco smoke from a neighbor’s residence or from a common area in a multifamily dwelling can be uncomfortable and unhealthy.
As a nonregulatory federal agency, CDC cannot provide direct assistance to people who are affected by smoke from a nearby residence. However, most organizations that address this issue agree that the preferable solution to your neighbor’s secondhand smoke is one of voluntary action. Your first step should be to discuss the problem with your landlord or management firm. If a workable solution cannot be reached using voluntary strategies, there are common law options for tenants of multifamily units. Information about these options is provided by organizations that include Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights and the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project.
Resources:
CDC Smoking & Tobacco Use Web Site: Secondhand Smoke
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/index.htm
Title: The Smoker Next Door
Source: Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights
http://www.no-smoke.org/goingsmokefree.php
Smoke-Free Environments Law Project Web Site
http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/home.htm
Back
to Top
-
How do I rid my home of smoke odors?
Smokers’ homes and houses or apartments in which previous tenants were smokers often retain unpleasant tobacco odors that are difficult to remove. CDC does not have information on methods to remove smoke odors and residues.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the preeminent U.S. standard-setting body on ventilation issues, has concluded that ventilation systems cannot remove secondhand smoke from indoor environments. Conventional air cleaning systems can remove large particles in secondhand smoke, but they cannot effectively eliminate smaller particles and gases.
Chapters 3 and 10 of The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General provide information on sources of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and methods to control exposure.
Professional cleaning services might help you to identify sources of odors that remain after thorough cleaning and airing of a residence and the removal of contaminated textiles.
Resources:
Title: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General (and related materials)
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
CDC Smoking & Tobacco Use Web Site: Ventilation Does Not Effectively Protect Nonsmokers from Secondhand Smoke
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/Ventilation.htm
EPA Indoor Air Quality Clearinghouse
Telephone: 1-800-438-4318; (703) 356-4020
Fax: 703-356-5386
E-mail: iaqinfo@aol.com
Back
to Top
-
What is CDC’s role in addressing secondhand smoke?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not a regulatory agency. CDC does not establish smoke-free regulations or have the authority or responsibility to enforce these regulations. As part of its mission, however, CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is tasked with leading and coordinating strategic efforts aimed at protecting people from environmental tobacco smoke exposure. To accomplish this goal, OSH works with a number of federal agencies and nongovernmental organization to reduce nonsmokers’ secondhand smoke exposure.
Through the Smoking & Tobacco Use Web site and 1-800-CDC-INFO, OSH provides information on the following topics:
• Health effects of secondhand smoke exposure
• Morbidity and mortality associated with secondhand smoke exposure
• Extent of secondhand smoke exposure in the U.S. population
• Approaches to reducing secondhand smoke exposure, including smoke-free policies
• Actions to address secondhand smoke in your community
Resources:
CDC's Smoking & Tobacco Use Web Site: Secondhand Smoke
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/index.htm
Title: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the
Surgeon General (and related publications)
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
Back
to Top
-
What are the health effects of secondhand smoke?
Breathing secondhand smoke for even a short time can have immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Nonsmoking adults who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work have a 25% to 30% increased risk of developing heart disease and a 20% to 30% increased risk of developing lung cancer.
Babies of nonsmoking women who are exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are at risk of experiencing a small reduction in birth weight.
In infants and children, secondhand smoke exposure causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.
Resources:
CDC Smoking & Tobacco Use Web Site: Secondhand Smoke
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/index.htm
Title: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General (and related publications)
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
Title: Sabemos
Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand_smoke/sabemos/index.htm
Title: Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure-Excerpts from The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2007
Source: CDC
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/smokeexposure/
Title: Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals: Tobacco Smoke
Source: CDC NCEH
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/3rd/
Title: Secondhand Smoke: Questions and Answers
Source: National Cancer Institute
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/ETS
American Lung Association
1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872)
http://www.lungusa.org
Back
to Top
|
|
|
