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"What, if anything, can be done to turn around or slow down the erosion in the public acceptability of smoking?"
--Hamish Maxwell, Chairman and CEO of Philip Morris Companies Inc. to Harold Burson, Chairman and CEO of PR firm Burson-Marsteller
In 1992, SHS was classified as a Group A carcinogen, which is known to cause cancer in humans.
PREVALENCE OF SECONDHAND SMOKE EXPOSURE
Twenty-one percent (21%) of all yout h in middle school and 26% of all youth in high school are exposed to SHS at home or in another building every day.
THE IMPACT OF SECONDHAND SMOKE ON INFANTS AND CHILDREN
SHS exposure can be particularly damaging for infants and children, whose
respiratory rates are higher than those of adults.
In the first two years of life, children who are exposed to SHS from parental
smoking have more than a 50% increased risk of getting bronchitis and pneumonia.
In addition to protecting against SHS exposure, studies indicate that smoking bans in the home and workplace encourage smokers to quit and reduce the number of cigarettes consumed per day among smokers.
Since 1991, cotinine levels among people ages 3 and older decreased by 75% - an indication that policies protecting people from SHS exposure may be working.
However, millions of people continue to be exposed to SHS, the health effects caused by SHS exposure remain a major public health concern.
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