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THE HEALTH EVIDENCE |
Secondhand smoke (SHS) is a serious health hazard. It contains more than 250 toxic substances - including 43 known human carcinogens, some of these in the worst category of cancer-causing substances. It also causes heart disease, strokes, chronic respiratory illness and much more.
There is no safe level of exposure. Even low typical doses can cause serious health harm, especially when repeated (for example, where employees are exposed in workplaces) and to vulnerable people (children and people with heart/respiratory conditions).
Independent research shows SHS causes the following categories of harm - click on these links to take you
straight to the sections:
DEATH RISK increases from various tobacco-related
causes
RESPIRATORY ailments are caused and worsened
HEART/VASCULAR diseases/conditions are caused and
worsened
CANCERS - secondhand smoke is a proven carcinogenic risk
Harm to WORKERS/PATRONS results from their
exposure
SEXUAL/REPRODUCTIVE/PRENATAL harm
results from smoke exposure
OTHER/GENERAL harm/exposure results - including dementia, diabetes,
meningococcal disease, osteoporosis, sexual/reproductive harm, genetic damage and
more
See the proven
effects
of smokefree laws - on health, quitting and business
Now see what the TOBACCO
INDUSTRY has to say about all this
For a general summary of
the known health harms from secondhand smoke, see
- Cancer
Council NSW factsheet
- California
Air Resources Board report - Executive Summary, Table ES.1 p. 12
See the World
Health Organisation (WHO) for good general info about secondhand
smoke, and our global treaty obligations to eliminate it.
See What am I inhaling? from Physicians for a Smokefree Canada - allows you to enter details of your own exposure to secondhand smoke at work and find out what you're inhaling and what its health impacts are.
Fake "outdoor" smoking rooms don't protect adequately from these dangers: see END THE UNHEALTHY LOOPHOLES
Heart
death risk reduced by smokefree Iowa law
January 2010: An Iowa, US Department of Public Health study of hospital data
shows the state saw an average 24% drop in coronary heart disease admissions in
2008 - when new smokefree workplace laws came into effect - compared with previous
years. Significant impacts also for heart attacks and strokes. Benefit appears to be increasing.
Authors say the law "has already
reduced the risk of debilitative or fatal cardiovascular disease for thousands
of Iowans." See report
summary
Low
levels of secondhand smoke increase heart death risk
2009: Data drawn from over a million adults show even low levels of
secondhand smoke increase heart and vascular death risk by average 16% and as much as 32%.
US study in Circulation concludes: "Relatively low
levels of fine particulate exposure from.... secondhand cigarette smoke are
sufficient to induce adverse biological responses increasing the risk of
cardiovascular disease mortality." See
study
abstract
Bar
waitress dies in asthma attack after secondhand smoke exposure
2008: A young waitress died after having an asthma attack while
working in a smoky bar in Michigan (USA). Doctors attributed her death directly
to the smoke exposure. See Reuters
report
Regular
exposure raises death risk by 34%; doubles COPD death risk, raises stroke death
risk by 50%
Smoky
workplaces killing 70 NSW bar workers a year
2004: Study estimates more than 70
NSW bar workers are dying each year from smoky workplaces (prior to NSW
legislative changes in 2005-7). The report, by
international secondhand smoke expert Professor James Repace for the Cancer
Council NSW, is based on conservative risk assessment analysis of smoke content in NSW licensed
venues and confirms similar UK findings.
See
Repace
study April 2004 See Cancer
Council NSW media release 29/4/04
See 73
RIP cartoon by Marty (c) 2004
Secondhand
smoke exposure raises death risk by 15%
2004: World's
largest-ever study of passive smoking and mortality (Otago University, NZ) shows
never-smoking adults who live with smokers have 15% higher death risk than
those living in smokefree households - even after taking into account
differences in age, ethnicity, socioeconomic and other factors. Supported later
by similar findings in Hong Kong.
Barworker tells: secondhand smoke killed me
Canadian barworker Heather Crowe's chilling first-hand account of death by
unsafe workplace... See videos
and transcripts
Exposure to secondhand smoke increases TB risk
10/2/10: Exposure to secondhand smoke increases risk of tuberculosis
(TB) in older women by 50%, says a study from Hong Kong of women aged
65-74. See
Reuters
report Australia's
incidence of TB is only about 700 cases a year but strongly related to
disadvantage - indigenous rate around 8 times higher than
non-indigenous. See
Australian
Health Dept background on TB
Smoke exposure at work boosts asthma rate in
young adults by 40%
2009: Exposure to secondhand smoke contamination in the workplace in the 1970
and 80s led to a 40% increase in asthma in young adults, says a study presented
to the British Thoracic Society. Authors say the research "highlights how
important it was to ban smoking in workplaces". See
report in Medical
News Today 6/12/09
Secondhand smoke doubles and worsens chronic
rhinosinusitis
2009: Childhood or current exposure to secondhand smoke more than
doubles risk of chronic rhinosinusitis, suggests Johns Hopkins University
study in American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy. Severity of the
disease, which can causes nasal blockage, discharge and headaches, may also be
worsened. See study
abstract
Bar waitress dies in asthma attack after
secondhand smoke exposure
2008: A young waitress died after having an asthma attack while
working in a smoky bar in Michigan (USA). Doctors attributed her death directly
to smoke exposure. See Reuters
report
Secondhand smoke kills by damaging lungs:
study
2007: Secondhand smoke can kill by causing structural damage to the lungs - making
lung cancer and emphysema more likely. US study of high-resolution
lung scans was presented to the annual conference of the Radiological Society of
North America. See UPI
report 27/11/07
Outdoor smoking areas threaten workers, asthma
sufferers, children: new study
2007: Hospitality and dining workers and entertainers face serious health
harm from secondhand smoke in crowded outdoor workplaces, says a major study
from Stanford University. It also points to acute risk to asthmatics, especially
children. See SmokeFree
Australia media release 8/5/07 including link to study
Passive smoke increases asthma severity and
hospitalisation risk
2005: Study published in Thorax journal online links exposure to secondhand smoke with increased severity of
asthma attacks and with greater risk of hospitalisation. See
full study
Secondhand smoke gets deeper, stays longer
2004: Secondhand smoke gets deeper into airways and stays longer than mainstream smoke, says
study from early 1990s buried until recently in British
American Tobacco vaults. The report helps explain why studies are piling up so fast
about SHS harm - and makes it more urgent for governments to banish it
quickly from all workplaces. See SmokeFree
Australia media release 19/8/04
Secondhand smoke makes toxic
bacterial cloud
2004: Dense concentrations of
secondhand smoke produce a dangerous cloud of bacteria-generated poison, says research from Sweden published in Indoor Air journal. The toxic
cloud causes asthma and bronchitis. The finding has increased calls for
immediate smoke bans in indoor spaces. See summary
and media reports See full
study
Studies show increased asthma, lung cancer dangers
Two 2003 studies show
increased health dangers of secondhand smoke. A Finnish study shows both
cumulative and recent exposure increases the risk of adult-onset asthma; while a
study in the International Journal of Cancer shows lung cancer risk rises
by as much as 32% with passive exposure.
Passive
smoke and emphysema
The SmokeFree '03 coalition
called on all states and territories to end smokefree exemptions immediately,
following this Italian study confirming passive smoke causes emphysema. See
our
release
Secondhand smoke in pubs varies heart rate
May 2010: Study of smoke exposure and heart rates of employees in UK pubs
confirms it lowers heart rate variability - leading to increased risk of heart
attack. The study, online in advance of July 2010 Journal of Occupational
Hygiene, "provides evidence that that occupational exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke decreases heart rate variability.... [which] may
pose an increased risk, for exposed workers, of an adverse cardiac
event." See full
study
24% fall in heart disease hospitalisations
after smokefree Iowa law
January 2010: Iowa, US Department of Public Health study of hospital data
shows the state saw average 24% drop in coronary heart disease admissions in
2008, when new smokefree workplace laws came into effect, compared with previous
years. Significant impacts also for heart attacks and strokes. Benefit appears to be increasing.
Authors say the law "has already
reduced the risk of debilitative or fatal cardiovascular disease for thousands
of Iowans." See report
summary
Major report confirms: smokefree laws cut heart attacks
2009:
Smokefree Australia stepped up its call for all workplaces and crowded public places to be 100% smokefree after other new studies showed smokefree public places laws have cut heart attacks in Europe and North America by more than previously thought. See BBC report 21/9/09 One of the papers, in Circulation journal, examined data from 13 separate analyses and concluded: "Passage of strong smoke-free legislation produces rapid and substantial benefits in terms of reduced acute myocardial infarctions, and these benefits grow with time." See abstract The other review, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reached a similar conclusion. See abstract See SmokeFree Australia media release 24/9/09
Smokefree
laws cause big fall in heart attacks
2009: Smokefree laws in UK public places have led to a big drop in heart
attacks, says new research. Studies have found a fall of 10% in the year after
changes in England, and 14% in Scotland. Researchers have called for smokefree
laws to cover a wider range of public places. See
Daily
Mail report 14/9/09
Low
levels of secondhand smoke increase heart death risk
2009: Data drawn from over a million adults show even low levels of
secondhand smoke increase heart and vascular death risk by an average 16% and as much as
32%. A US study
published online in Circulation journal concludes: "Relatively low
levels of fine particulate exposure from.... secondhand cigarette smoke are
sufficient to induce adverse biological responses increasing the risk of
cardiovascular disease mortality." See
study
abstract
Outdoor smoking areas a risk to workers'
hearts: study
2009: Hospitality workers are at
increased risk of cardiovascular harm from secondhand smoke in outdoor smoking
areas of licensed venues, says air quality study in 25
Study finds smokefree laws improve
health, reduce heart attacks
2008: Study in prestigious New England Journal of Medicine provides strong evidence
that laws requiring smokefree workplaces have a rapid and significant impact on
health. The study found that after smokefree legal changes in Scotland
there was a 17% fall in hospital admissions for acute heart attacks - and
two-thirds of the improvement was among non-smokers. See
study
abstract Several other studies have demonstrated
reductions in coronary events after smoke-free laws. But the
Scottish study is particularly strong because it used larger samples, examined
the effect among non-smokers and smokers, included measures of exposure to
secondhand smoke, and strong geographic controls.
Smokefree laws cut almost a fifth of heart
attack hospitalisations
2008: British
Medical Journal review of worldwide research evidence shows smokefree laws
have reduced by 19% the hospital admissions for heart attacks in places where
the changes are in effect. See
the
report
Secondhand
smoke causes blood, cell damage in 30 minutes: study
2008: A study of smoke in bars
shows significant damage to blood vessels and stem cells. And the University of
California (San Francisco) study says the harm can happen within 30 minutes of
exposure. See UCSF
media release 2/5/08 See study
abstract See SmokeFree
Australia media release 5/5/08
Smoke
bans halve non-smoker heart hospitalisations: study
2007: Indoor smoke bans in eating,
drinking and working spaces have reduced heart-related hospital admissions of
non-smokers by 59% in a study across two US counties. Indiana University study in the Journal of Drug
Education surveyed more than 35,000
hospitalisations, comparing admissions in comparable counties - one with smoke
bans and one without. See study
abstract and Newswise
report 19/11/07
Outdoor
smoking areas unsafe threaten heart sufferers: new study
2007: Hospitality workers and patrons face serious health harm from
secondhand smoke in crowded outdoor areas, says a major study from Stanford
University. It also points to acute risk to asthmatics and heart/artery disease
sufferers, and exposure of children. See
SmokeFree
Australia media release 8/5/07 including link to study
Secondhand smoke increases heart risk: worldwide study
2006: Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart attack in both former and non-smokers, says a study across 52 countries in The Lancet. Suggests that ndividuals with the highest levels of exposure of 22 hours or more per week may increase their risk of heart attack by around 45%. See EurekAlert report 17/8/06
Study
shows passive smoke link with coronary artery harm
2005: Study in Circulation
links secondhand smoke exposure with adolescent development of syndrome connected
with Diabetes II and coronary artery disease. Concerns
about harm to children in areas of pubs and clubs. See Media
release by ASH Australia and National Heart Foundation (SmokeFree Australia
partners) 11/8/05
See
study
abstract
Passive smoke "almost as harmful as smoking": states warned to close
smoky pub loopholes
2005: Major research review shows
secondhand smoke averages 80-90% as harmful to cardiovascular health as active
smoking. Health and employee groups urge NSW and Victorian
governments to tighten dangerous loopholes allowing pub and club smoking
to continue in mostly-enclosed rooms. See SmokeFree
Australia media release 25/5/05 See the research
review
Secondhand smoke linked with atherosclerosis development
Abstract of 2005 study in the American Journal of Medicine connecting secondhand smoke with increased incidence of "inflammatory markers" associated with the development of atherosclerosis
Passive
smoke twice the heartbreaker we thought
SmokeFree Australia release (2004) on major study in British Medical
Journal showing secondhand smoke exposure can increase the risk
of heart disease by more than 50% - twice what was previously believed. The
study provides a powerful reason for pub/club smoke bans to be brought forward.
The release includes a link to the study.
Just
five years' passive exposure can increase acute heart risk by 15%
Sydney Morning Herald report on
research showing passive smoke may be even more dangerous than
previously thought, with even moderate exposure to secondhand smoke causing
serious heart risk. A Greek study of almost 3000 people showed risk of acute
heart problems jumping 15% with just five years' exposure to typical levels of
others' smoke.
Immediate
impact of smoke bans on heart attack rates
British Medical Journal 2004
(see under April 5: Sargent et al): Study
from Helena, Montana, US showing 40% drop in heart attack rates in six months after statewide total smoke
bans in public buildings. Sadly, the ban was later reversed - and heart attack
rates shot back up to their previous level.
CANCER - GENERAL
Secondhand
smoke exposure is a proven carcinogenic risk See
Cancer Council website on Environmental
causes of cancer
Mothers'
secondhand exposure raises babies' lifelong cancer risk
July 2010: Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke give birth to babies with
increased lifelong susceptibility to cancer, says a study in Open Paediatric
Medicine. See abstract
with link to full study
Secondhand
exposure doubles children's lung cancer risk
2009: Secondhand
smoke exposure during childhood is associated with a more than doubled lung
cancer risk among never smokers, says a study in Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers and Prevention. See
study
abstract
World
Cancer Report
2008: Global research review by WHO's International Agency
for Cancer Research. International expert panel updates cancer dangers,
confirms secondhand smoke causes
cancer in non-smokers. Endorses effectiveness of smokefree laws. Summary
in IARC
media release 19/12/08
Passive smoking causes
earlier onset of colon cancer
2008: A study at the University of Rochester (US) Medical Centre has found
that colon cancer occurs earlier in life for both active and passive smokers.
The earlier the age of exposure to tobacco smoke, the earlier the onset of the
disease. See study
abstract
Even
brief exposure can increase workers' cancer risk: study
2007: Brief exposure to secondhand smoke in bars and restaurants can increase
workers' risk of cancer, says a new study in the American Journal of Public
Health. It confirms earlier studies pointing to passive exposure leading to
higher risks of cancer as well as other health harm. See
study
abstract
Most
Oz states still exposing barworkers to carcinogenic workplaces: study
2006: Australian hospitality workers have
called for a quick shutdown of smoking in all workplaces after a new study of
workplace carcinogens showed them still dangerously exposed in most
states. See
SmokeFree
Australia media release 13/6/06
Passive
smoking may speed cancer growth
This study reported (2003) in the prestigious Nature
journal says passive smoking may speed the growth of tumours by prompting new
blood vessels to form. This strengthens the link between second-hand tobacco
fumes and lung cancer.
BREAST
CANCER
Research on the link between breast cancer and secondhand smoke exposure has tended to be inconclusive or contradictory. Below is the latest research, most recent at the top.
Secondhand exposure may increase breast cancer risk
2009: Cumulative secondhand smoke exposure may increase breast cancer risk in never-smoking post-menopausal women by up to 25%, says a study of over 50,000 women in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. See study abstract
but on the other hand...
Passive smoking NOT linked to breast cancer,
says Million Women data study
2008: Analysis of data drawn from more than 200,000 women shows NO link
between exposure to secondhand smoke in the home and development of breast cancer in
never-smokers. Oxford University meta-analysis of UK "Million Women
Study" in International Journal of Epidemiology says
earlier findings (see below) may have been distorted by self-reporting biases.
See study
abstract This result casts some doubt on the
earlier studies below; though the Million Women
data only surveyed exposure to secondhand smoke at home, not in public
places. See earlier Boston
Globe report 1/1/07 on the debate and evidence as at 2007
Earlier studies...
Passive smoke can double breast cancer risk
2005: Review of 19 studies suggests
secondhand smoke has about the same impact as active smoking on breast cancer
risk of long-term smoke-exposed young women. See study
abstract
Long-term smoke exposure may double breast cancer risk in
childbearing years
2005: Study in the International
Journal of Cancer suggests women with longtime secondhand smoke
exposure more than double risk of developing breast
cancer in childbearing years. See
abstract
and link to full study
Secondhand
smoke more than doubles breast cancer risk in pre-menopausal women
2004: Japanese study in the International Journal of Cancer suggests
secondhand tobacco smoke
multiplies by 2.6 times the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women.
Passive
smoking may increase breast cancer risk
German study says women exposed to even small amounts of passive smoke are 60% more likely
to develop breast cancer by age 50.
CERVICAL CANCER
Secondhand
smoke raises cervical cancer risk
2005: Secondhand
smoke raises the risk of developing cervical cancer, say Johns Hopkins
University researchers. Obstetrics and Gynecology, January 2005; 105:174-181
LUNG CANCER
Secondhand smoke kills by damaging lungs: study
2007: A new study has shown how secondhand smoke can kill by
causing structural damage to the lungs - making lung cancer and emphysema more
likely. The US study was based on high-resolution lung scans and presented to
the annual conference of the Radiological Society of North America. See
UPI
report 27/11/07
Workplace smoke can double lung cancer risk: new UN study
2007: Major report from UN's International
Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) shows workplace exposure to secondhand
tobacco smoke can double lung cancer risk in the most heavily exposed. Worldwide review of studies in
American Journal of Public
Health says workplace exposure should be "eliminated" and
recommends "tougher regulations and laws" against smoking in public
places. See
IARC
media release 31/1/0 See
review
abstract
Lung
cancer risk rises by almost one-third with secondhand smoke exposure
PANCREATIC CANCER
Secondhand
exposure at work increases pancreatic cancer risk
2009: Tobacco smoke exposure in the
workplace raises risk of pancreatic cancer by over 50%, says a study in the
International Journal of Cancer. Tracked almost half a million
Europeans over average 9 years. See
abstract
Beware smoke drift: indoor
bans still leave workers, patrons exposed
2010: Australian air quality study in pubs and bars finds smoke
drifting from adjacent outdoor smoking areas to adjacent indoor areas
compromises health; some "smokefree" areas significantly
contaminated by smoke drift. Authors raise concerns about "adequate protection of
the health of employees and patrons at hospitality venues." See
study
abstract
Study confirms unsafe
exposure in smoky alfrescoes
2009: A study of air quality in outdoor dining areas of 12 Perth cafes and
16 pubs has confirmed smoke particles at average levels double recommended
exposure limits. The study, by SmokeFree Australia partner organisation ACOSH,
found exposure levels caused by just two people smoking are a health risk -
especially to children and people with heart or respiratory
conditions. See full
study
Secondhand
smoke exposure "substantial" in Australian outdoor dining areas
2009: Study in Tobacco Control of smoke exposure in 69 Melbourne
al frescoes shows
"substantial" exposure to small airborne particulate - smoking more
than trebling background level, increasing
with more smokers and overhead cover. Authors point to need for more outdoor
smoking restrictions. See
abstract
and link to full study
Outdoor smoking areas a risk
to workers' hearts: study
2009: Hospitality workers are at
increased risk of cardiovascular harm from secondhand smoke in outdoor smoking
areas of licensed venues, says air quality study in 25
Secondhand
smoke causes blood, cell damage in 30 minutes: study
2008: A new study of smoke in bars
shows significant damage to blood vessels and stem cells. And the University of
California (San Francisco) study says the harm can happen within 30 minutes of
exposure. See UCSF
media release 2/5/08 See study
abstract See SmokeFree
Australia media release 5/5/08
Even brief exposure can increase workers' cancer
risk: study
2007: Brief exposure to secondhand smoke in bars and restaurants can increase
workers' risk of cancer, says a new study in the American Journal of Public
Health. It confirms earlier studies pointing to passive exposure leading to
higher risks of cancer as well as other health harm.
See
study
abstract
Outdoor exposure significant:
tobacco a "toxic air contaminant"
2007:
US report from Air Resources Board (California) says exposure to secondhand
smoke even in outdoor areas adjacent to smoking areas has been monitored at
levels comparable to household exposure - i.e. proven harmful and potentially
deadly. The report lists tobacco smoke outdoors as a "toxic air
contaminant."
See report at www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/ets/finalreport/finalreport.htm
"Outdoor" areas unsafe to workers,
heart/asthma sufferers, children: new study
2007: Hospitality and dining workers and entertainers face serious health
harm from secondhand smoke in crowded outdoor workplaces, says major new study
from Stanford University. Acute risk to asthmatics, heart/artery disease sufferers,
children. SmokeFree Australia calls for urgent meetings to separate working
and smoking areas. See SmokeFree
Australia media release 8/5/07 including link to study
Workplace smoke can double lung cancer risk: new UN study
2007: Major report from the UN International
Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) shows workplace exposure to secondhand
tobacco smoke can double lung cancer risk. Worldwide review of studies in American Journal of Public Health
concludes workplace
exposure should be "eliminated". See
IARC
media release 31/1/0 See
review
abstract
See SmokeFree
Australia media release 6/2/07
Most Oz states still exposing barworkers to
carcinogenic workplaces: study
2006: Australian hospitality workers have
called for a quick shutdown of smoking in all workplaces after a new study
showed them still dangerously exposed to workplace carcinogens in most
states. See
SmokeFree
Australia media release 13/6/06
Pub smoke doubles teen meningococcal risk:
study
2006: Late teens can more than double risk of carrying deadly meningococcal disease by going regularly to smoky pubs,
says large UK study. SmokeFree Australia warns Australia's slow
states to catch up in separating and unservicing smoking areas - or
young people should avoid pubs and clubs. See
SmokeFree
Australia media release 6/6/06 with link to study
Smoky workplaces damage DNA: casino study
2006: A five-year study of casino workers in Reno, Nevada has established that their smoky workplaces cause DNA damage - leading to the likelihood of increased disease. See media report 16/5/06
One in seven Victorians exposed to smoke in
bars in last 2 days
2005: Almost 15% OF Victorians have
been exposed to secondhand smoke in a bar or pub within the last 48hours, says
new research. And four out of five people say they're concerned about the harm
they're suffering from passive smoking.
See Quit
Victoria media release 19/10/05
Smoky pub
night doubles UK non-smokers' CO2 intake
2005:
Non-smokers in a British experiment have had their poisonous carbon doixide
intake doubled by an evening inn a smoky pub. Health groups have intensified
their campaign for total indoor smoke bans in licensed venues.
See report
6/9/05
Oz barworkers choke on smoke in partial
ban shambles
2005: Australian study shows
significant health harm from smoky workplaces - and several
state/territory governments are failing to protect workers with
ineffective partial bans. See SmokeFree
Australia media release 15/7/05
Smoky
workplaces killing 70 NSW bar workers a year
2004:
More than 70
NSW bar workers are dying each year from smoky workplaces, says report by
international secondhand smoke expert Professor James Repace for the Cancer
Council NSW. (This precedes legislative reform in NSW 2005-7).
WA
pub-goers' smoke intake comparable to
smoking
2004: Non-smokers
who drink or work in bars and pubs may as well be smoking themselves, revolutionary nicotine test shows.
Results taken in a suburban Perth hotel could increase
significantly the risk of bar and nightclub owners, or anyone else responsible
for a smoky environment, being sued for damages caused by passive smoking. Reported in The West Australia,
21/5/04 (not online) Similar study yields
similar result in Victoria - pub-goers being exposed to "alarming" levels of secondhand smoke,
inhaling almost as much as if smoking themselves. See Herald-Sun
report 27/6/04
Musicians urge immediate ban after
NSW smoke test
2004: Musicians urge smokefree workplace
reforms after
musician records dangerously high exposure in Sydney pub. See
SmokeFree
Australia media release 30/9/04
The test was conducted by the AMA,
which presented NSW Cancer Minister Sartor with a petition of 400
doctors calling for an end to smoky pubs and clubs.
See
AMA
release 30/9/04
Victorian
hospitality
workers dangerously exposed
Hospitality workers in Victoria are dangerously
exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke in their workplaces - and worried. Study in Australian & New Zealand Journal of
Public Health says more than half the hospitality workers sampled are
exposed in their average day, and four-fifths are concerned about it. See study
abstract
Harm
to workers: UK research evidence
Excellent report from ASH UK includes much
health and other evidence.
See major report:
A
Killer on the Loose
One
worker death a week, says UK research
One employee a week in the UK hospitality
industry dies from passive smoking at work, according to estimates. Professor Konrad Jamrozik of Imperial College,
London, calculated the figure from the number of employees in the industry,
their exposure to tobacco smoke, and their likely risk of dying as a
result. See study in British
Medical Journal, 22/5/04
SEXUAL/REPRODUCTIVE/PRENATAL HARM
Tobacco strongly linked with female reproductive harm
August 2010: Major US/Canadian review for Critical Reviews in Toxicology of worldwide research evidence on tobacco and other substances’ impacts on female fertility and reproduction finds tobacco (unlike other lifestyle factors) "strongly associated with adverse reproductive outcomes". Recommends that "women desiring conception should be advised to avoid exposure to both primary and passive smoking." See abstract
Call
for full protection of pregnant women from secondhand smoke after studies show
foetal harm
12/2/10: Health and child welfare groups have made an urgent call for dining and
drinking areas and other workplaces to be made smokefree after a major international review of
studies on impact of passive smoking on pregnancy confirmed it causes lower
birthweight and increased birth abnormalities. The review of 76 articles,
involving data from over 130,000 women, concluded that exposed women "have
increased risks of infants with lower birthweight, congenital anomalies, longer
lengths, and trends towards smaller head circumferences..." See
ASH / Protecting
Children from tobacco media release 12/2/10 and review
abstract
Smokefree
Irish
pubs help cut pregnant smoking, premature births
2009: Smokefree
workplace laws in the
Pregnant women dangerously exposed in smoky
venues: new study
2005: Study in BMC Pediatrics says
women who quit smoking when pregnant are more likely to be exposed to secondhand
smoke in social situations in the mistaken belief that exposure to others' smoke
is "no big deal." Author suggests we may need to
protect pregnant women, and women who intend to become pregnant, by smokefree workplaces and public spaces.
See
study
abstract
Secondhand smoke as bad as smoking for
women planning IVF babies
2005: Women hoping to get pregnant from IVF harm their
chances as much through passive as active smoking, says study in Human
Reproduction. This provides further argument for closing loopholes in public
places legislation. See study
Study shows passive smoking testosterone harm:
bar workers at risk
2005: Study showing testosterone damage to young
males from secondhand smoke exposure leads to calls for smoke bans in licensed
venues to be tightened. See SmokeFree
Australia media release 15/4/05
See full
study See
Partly
enclosed rooms defeat the purpose
Passive harm to foetal brains
2004: Study from the US shows
how secondhand smoke exposure of the mother causes mental harm to the baby even
before birth. Big problem for young women working in or regularly going to the
pub or club. See 23/3/04
release from ASH Australia (SmokeFree
Aust partner)
OTHER/GENERAL HEALTH HARM, EXPOSURE
Secondhand smoke may cause dementia
2009: Exposure to secondhand smoke may increase risk of dementia, says British Medical Journal study of more than 5000 non-smokers over 50. Universities of Cambridge and Michigan resarchers also confirm passive smoking's link with other cognitive impairment. See study abstract This confirms 2007 study presented to American Academy of Neurology finding older people exposed to secondhand smoke for 30 years or more have 30% increased dementia risk. See Science Daily report
Meningococcal link with secondhand smoke
2008: Analysis of victims of a meningococcal disease outbreak in
Canada 1999-2002 shows the three main risk factors were bar
attendance, rave attendance and maternal smoking - all connected with
secondhand smoke. See study
abstract see previous research below on meningococcal
link
Pub smoke doubles teen meningococcal
risk (2006) Late teens can more than double risk of carrying deadly meningococcal disease by going regularly to smoky pubs,
large UK study finds. SmokeFree Australia warns Australia's slow
states to catch up in separating and unservicing smoking areas - or
young people should avoid pubs and clubs altogether. See SmokeFree
Australia media release 6/6/06 with link to study
Secondhand
smoke raises child ear infection risk
2008: Australian report finds ear infections could be cut
by 16% in non-Aboriginal and 27% in Aboriginal children by removing
secondhand smoke exposure. Report by Perth-based Telethon
Institute for Child Health Research in Medical Journal of Australia. Many
smoking-permitted areas of licensed venues in some states are
child-accessible. See
Telethon
Institute media release 19/5/08
Ban deadly workplace secondhand smoke, says report
2006: Report on secondhand
smoke from the US Surgeon-General says it should be eliminated from workplaces -
not just reduced. In Australia, health and employee organisations urge total and immediate ban on smoking in all working areas in pubs, clubs and
gaming venues. See
SmokeFree
Australia media release 28/6/06 See
US Surgeon
General Report 2006 and media background
Secondhand smoke a bone-breaker: old and
young, male and female
2006: A study has found secondhand
smoke can increase risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures across all adult ages
- trebling young women's risk. See
ASH
Australia media release 8/6/06 with link to the Hsu et al study
Smoky workplaces damage DNA: casino study
2006: Five-year study of casino workers in Reno, Nevada shows their smoky workplaces cause DNA damage leading to increased disease risk. See media report 16/5/06
Secondhand smoke may cause diabetes: new study
2006: British Medical Journal study suggests for the first
time that secondhand smoke may trigger diabetes. Renewed
calls for tighter smokefree laws in Australia. See
SmokeFree
Australia media release 7/4/06 See
BMJ
abstract Supports 2005 study linking secondhand smoke with adolescent development of
syndrome connected
with Diabetes II and coronary artery disease. Concerns
about harm to children in areas of pubs and clubs. See Media
release by ASH Australia and National Heart Foundation (SmokeFree Australia
partners) 11/8/05
See also study
abstract, Circulation
The human cost of tobacco: passive smoking -
doctors speak out
2005: From the British Medical Association,
doctor and patient stories of the harm caused by secondhand smoke
exposure. Takes the issue out of the realm of statistics and shows the
real human damage. See the report
Secondhand smoke can damage health at very low
levels
2005: Research published in the
international medical journal PLoS Medicine says there is "no safe
threshold" for tobacco exposure and that they must be "virtually
eliminated to protect human health."
See study
pdf, PLoS Medicine Dec 2005 issue
Scientific research review lists the dangers
2005: Final report from Scientific
Review Panel of Air Resources Board (US) lists major harms established by
research. It shows exposure in crowded outdoor areas adjacent to smoking
areas is comparable to known harmful smoky household levels. See
ARB
final report, June 2005
See major
findings on SHS health harm
UK report: "No infant, child or adult
should be exposed to secondhand smoke"
2004: Inhaling secondhand smoke
massively increases risk of lung cancer and heart disease, says report
by medical scientists in the UK. Anti-smoking campaigners have accused ministers
of sitting on the report for months, fearing it will fuel the campaign for
smokefree public places. See
BBC
report 19/10/04
More on the Health effects of secondhand smoke
Health
harm from passive smoking
Position paper from Cancer
Council Australia summarises evidence about the health risks associated with passive smoking, and makes
recommendations on what should be done to eliminate risk. The
statement was developed by Cancer Council Australia's Tobacco Issues
Committee, whose members include representatives of the National Heart
Foundation of Australia, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia, the
Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH), Quit organisations, and the
VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control, as well as Cancer Councils around
Australia.
EU
paper on secondhand health harm
2005 paper on the nature and effects of
passive smoking
How has the TOBACCO INDUSTRY responded to all
this evidence?
1. HIDDEN IT:
Philip Morris hid secondhand smoke harm for 20
years
2004: Philip Morris hid harm from secondhand
smoke for two decades, says a study published in The Lancet. A
lab owned by Philip Morris USA uncovered evidence in the early 1980s
about potential risks from passive smoking but its findings were
never made public, says the article. See
Lancet
article 11/04
2.
DENIED IT:
Secondhand smoke "not a cause of disease" says Imperial Tobacco
2006: Tobacco giant Imperial Tobacco
Ltd tells NSW parliamentary inquiry that "the scientific evidence, taken as
a whole, does not demonstrate that environmental tobacco smoke is a cause of
disease, including lung cancer and heart disease." See submission
no. 26, pp. 2-3 at NSW
tobacco inquiry 2006 submissions
3. DOWNPLAYED IT AND LOBBIED AGAINST IT:
Risks are "weak" says BAT
2010: British American Tobacco
Australia website belatedly acknowledged WHO, NHMRC and other authorities'
concerns about SHS causing health harm. But BATA, mostly relying on more conservative "spouse studies", argues
"relative risks" are "weak" and "do not reach
statistical significance"; arguing for "practical initiatives"
that "accommodate both smokers and non-smokers." See BATA
webpage BAT
has lobbied local councils in NSW seeking to derail smokefree outdoor
dining areas proposals - though these would help protect children and staff from
SHS.
More Big Tobacco tricks: see why ventilation
and separation don't protect against these dangers...
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