Quote:
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O.K., I kinda brought in a ringer to the "second-hand" smoke issue.
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OK, I'll see your ringer and raise you three.
Here are my three ringers: the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and the Surgeon General of the United States (under Reagan). Let's take the three in order.
Dr. Michael Thun is vice president of the Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta GA. He is also a published researcher in cancer epidemiology. What is his opinion about the scientific consensus on the medical harm of SHS (secondhand smoke)? Here it is:
Quote:
"The consensus of multiple health committees from around the world, including the surgeon general, is that secondhand smoke is definitely related to lung cancer and heart disease, and may be also be related to chronic lung disease."
--Dr. Michael Thun, in an interview with WebMD
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And I'd like to point out that this is the
fourth time this quote has been linked or posted in this thread.
On to the National Cancer Institute (of the NIH). The NCI has a position paper on the medical impacts of SHS. This position paper is based on a review of all the current published research on the medical effects of SHS, which consists of over 100 controlled, peer reviewed studies as of today. What is their position on the medical impacts of secondhand smoke? Here it is:
Quote:
What are the health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke?
Secondhand smoke exposure is a known risk factor for lung cancer (1, 3, 4, 6, 7). Approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths occur each year among adult nonsmokers in the United States as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke (2). Secondhand smoke is also linked to nasal sinus cancer (1, 4). Some research suggests an association between secondhand smoke and cancers of the cervix, breast, and bladder. However, more research is needed in order to confirm a link to these cancers (3, 4, 8).
Secondhand smoke is also associated with the following noncancerous conditions:
* chronic coughing, phlegm, and wheezing (4, 6, 7)
* chest discomfort (4)
* lowered lung function (4, 6, 7)
* severe lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, in children (4, 6, 7)
* more severe asthma and increased chance of developing asthma in children (6)
* eye and nose irritation (4)
* severe and chronic heart disease (4)
* middle ear infections in children (4, 6)
* sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (4)
* low birth weight or small size at birth for babies of women exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy (4)
Certain other noncancerous health conditions may also be associated with secondhand smoke. However, more research is needed in order to confirm a link between these conditions and secondhand smoke. These conditions include:
* spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) (4)
* adverse effect on cognition and behavior in children (4)
* worsening of cystic fibrosis (a disease that causes excessive mucus in the lungs) (4)
--SHS Fact Sheet, NCI
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And I'd like to point out that this is the
third time this information has been linked or posted on this thread.
On to the Surgeon General of the United States. In 1986 the SG office issued its report summarizing its review of some 60 published research reports on the impacts of secondhand smoke. Here are its conclusions:
Quote:
After careful examination of the available evidence, the following overall conclusions can be reached:
1. Involuntary smoking is a cause of disease, including lung cancer, in healthy nonsmokers.
2. The children of parents who smoke, compared with the children of nonsmoking parents, have an increased frequency of respiratory infections, increased respiratory symptoms, and slightly smaller rates of increase in lung function as the lung matures.
3. Simple separation of smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space may reduce, but does not eliminate, exposure of nonsmokers to environmental tobacco smoke.
Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke occurs at home, at the worksite, in public, and in other places where smoking is permitted.
The quality of the indoor environment must be a concern of all who control and occupy that environment. Protection of individuals from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is therefore a responsibility shared by all:
As parents and adults we must protect the health of our children by not exposing them to environmental tobacco
smoke.
As employers and employees we must ensure that the act of smoking does not expose the nonsmoker to tobacco smoke.
For smokers, it is their responsibility to assure that their behavior does not jeopardize the health of others.
For nonsmokers, it is their responsibility to provide a supportive environment for smokers who are attempting to stop.
Actions taken by individuals, employers, and employee organizations reflect the growing concern for protecting nonsmokers. The number of laws and regulations enacted at the national, State, and local level governing smoking in public has increased substantially over the past 10 years, and surveys conducted by numerous organizations show strong public support for these actions among both smokers and nonsmokers.
As a Nation, we have made substantial progress in addressing the enormous toll inflicted by active smoking. Efforts to improve and protect individual health must be not only continued but strengthened.
On the basis of the evidence presented in this Report, it is clear that actions to protect nonsmokers from environmental tobacco smoke exposure not only are warranted but are essential to protect public health.
--Surgeon General's Report 1986
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And this is the
fourth time this report has been referred to or linked to in this thread.
So to summarize: Yes there is an obvious, objectively demonstrable scientific consensus that SHS is a significant risk for cancer, heart disease, and lung disease.