Research and statistics

According to former U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Carmona’s comments came with the release of the 2006 report The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke. The report found that  secondhand smoke can lead to disease and premature death in children and non-smoking adults.

Evidence from other research shows that:

• Adult male smokers lost an average of 13.2 years of life and female smokers lost 14.5 years of life because of smoking. (Source: Centers for Disease Control, based on data collected from 1995 to 1999).
• Holding one pinch of smokeless tobacco in your mouth for 30 minutes delivers as much nicotine as three to four cigarettes. (Source: National Cancer Institute. Smokeless Tobacco: Just the Facts!). 
• Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children. [Source: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006.]
• In 2002, smoking cost Oregonians $2 billion, about $1 billion in direct medical costs and $1 billion in indirect costs due to premature death and disability. [Source: Oregon Tobacco Facts. Oregon Department of Human Services, Tobacco Prevention and Education Program, 2006.] 
• Since 1996, cigarette smoking has declined 55 percent among Oregon’s eighth graders, and 39 percent among 11th graders. Since the Tobacco Prevention and Education Program’s inception in 1996, the percentage of retailers who sold cigarettes to minors has fallen 54 percent. [Source: Oregon Tobacco Facts. Oregon Department of Human Services, Tobacco Prevention and Education Program, 2006.] 
• The benefits of quitting smoking are virtually immediate:
  • 20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse rate drop to normal. Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.
  • 8 hours: Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal. Oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.
  • 24 hours: Chance of a heart attack decreases.
  • 48 hours: Nerve endings start regrowing. Ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
  • 2 weeks to 3 months: Circulation improves. Walking becomes easier . Lung function increases up to 30 percent.
  • 1 to 9 months: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease. Cilia regrows in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection. The body's overall energy increases.
  • 1 year: Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
  • 5 years: Lung cancer death rate for an average former smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half. Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker 5-15 years after quitting. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is half that of a smoker's.
  • 10 years: The lung cancer death rate is similar to that of a non-smokers. The pre-cancerous cells are replaced. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.
  • 15 years: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker.

More research and information is available from:

• DHS Tobacco Prevention and Education Program
• U.S. Surgeon General

Also see the 2007 Oregon Tobacco Facts report.

 

---