|
|
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Cancer Prevention and Control 4770 Buford Hwy, NE MS K-64 Atlanta, GA 30341-3717 Call: 1 (800) CDC-INFO TTY: 1 (888) 232-6348 FAX: (770) 488-4760 E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov Submit a Question Online |
Surgeon General's ReportThe latest Surgeon General's Report (SGR), The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, considered by many to be the most significant SGR since the landmark 1964 report, concludes there is no safe level of secondhand smoke for nonsmokers. The six major conclusions about secondhand smoke in the report are
3,000 Lung Cancer Deaths a Year in NonsmokersNonsmokers 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 because nearly half of all nonsmoking Americans still are exposed to secondhand smoke regularly. 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. "We see about 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmoking people a year. But the cardiovascular effects are about 15 times larger. We estimate at a minimum 35,000 to as high as 50,000 to 60,000 people die each year from heart attacks and strokes after being exposed to secondhand smoke. These are people with diseased arteries. Those disease spots are vulnerable to the effects of the toxins in smoke," says Terry Pechacek, PhD, Associate Director for Science in CDC's Office on Smoking and Health. To read highlights of the 2006 SGR, watch the press conference Webcast, or access additional resources, visit 2006 Surgeon General's Report—The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke.
Page last reviewed: March 23, 2007
Page last updated: March 23, 2007 Content source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion |
|
||||||||||||
|