Posted by PatJ. on January 28, 2001, at 16:47:56
In reply to Re: Dangers of Marijuana (carcinogen and reprod..), posted by PatJ. on January 28, 2001, at 16:40:21
Second Hand Smoke:
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Passive Smoking "Kills Babies" and Others [03/13-7]
Excerpts from SMOKING IN THE HOME 'KILLS BABIES'By David Fletcher, Health Correspondent, Electronic Telegraph [03/12-7]
Passive smoking kills up to 80 babies a year and is responsible for several hundred deaths of non-smokers from lung cancer, a Government committee of scientists said yesterday. It called for a ban on smoking in public places, which could include pubs, restaurants and public service buildings, and Sir Kenneth Calman, Chief Medical Officer, hinted at action being announced in a White Paper this summer.
But confirmation of the increased risk from passive smoking is likely to put pressure on firms that allow smoking. Workers can use existing health and safety legislation to sue employers by arguing that their health has been damaged by a smoky environment.
The Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health said smoking caused 120,000 deaths a year, one fifth of all deaths in Britain, led to higher levels of heart disease and contributed to increasing asthma and wheezing illnesses in children. The committee said: "The enormous damage to health and life arising from smoking should no longer be accepted. The Government should take effective action to limit this preventable epidemic."
The report, by a committee chaired by Sir David Poswillo, of Guy's and St Thomas's hospitals, is the most authoritative statement by a Government body on tobacco and health for 10 years. Its findings provide the scientific evidence on smoking that will underpin a range of anti-smoking measures to be announced in a White Paper on smoking reduction.
It said children whose parents smoke were twice as likely to be the victims of sudden infant death and at a 50 per cent increased risk of suffering serious breathing difficulties. Those exposed to other people's smoke long term were up to 30 per cent more likely to contract lung cancer, resulting in several hundred extra deaths a year. Passive smoking also caused heart disease and represented "a substantial public health hazard".
Smoking in pregnancy caused increased risk of miscarriage, reduced birth weight and perinatal death. If parents continued to smoke there was an increased rate of cot deaths. The report said: "Sudden infant death syndrome, the main cause of perinatal death in the first year of life, is associated with exposure to environmental (other people's) tobacco smoke. The association is judged to be one of cause and effect."
The report, published on No Smoking Day, said: "Smoking should not be allowed in public service buildings or on public transport other than in designated and isolated areas. Where possible smoking should not be permitted in the workplace."
It comes three days after a row between the World Health Organization and tobacco manufacturers over passive smoking risk.
Manufacturers, who leaked findings of the WHO report, claimed that it found no extra risk of lung cancer from inhaling other people's smoke. WHO then issued a statement that said its study did show a link between lung cancer and passive smoking and accused the tobacco industry of staging a "wholly misleading" publicity stunt.
The chief medical officer, came down firmly on the side of WHO yesterday, he said its findings were in line with those of the latest report. "This report has a really powerful message and should not be missed."
Evidence in the report shows that half of all smokers are killed by the habit unless they quit. Those who live with a smoker have a 26 per cent increased risk of lung cancer and a 23 per cent increased risk of heart disease. People who smoke regularly have a 15 times greater risk of developing lung cancer compared with non-smokers.
One in five of the 400 cot deaths every year are the result of the mother smoking. If both parents smoke, their children have a 50 to 60 per cent increased chance of developing asthma.
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poster:PatJ.
thread:52766
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010122/msgs/52768.html