Surgeon General's Report Heralds Turning Tide Against Tobacco, Smoking

Extract

The recent report on secondhand smoke from the U.S. Surgeon General has already been the impetus for several new smoking bans and may be the starting point for a national movement, according to smoke-free advocates.

“The scientific evidence is now indisputable: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance. It is a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking adults,” then–Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D., said at a press briefing to release the report in June.

The report reviews 20 years of literature since the Surgeon General's last report on the dangers of secondhand smoke and concludes that secondhand smoke is so hazardous that no level of exposure can be considered safe. Antitobacco advocates say the new report will accelerate an already heavy downpour of state and local government regulations that are banning smoking in workplaces, restaurants, and bars.

“It is not surprising that secondhand smoke is so harmful. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke inhale the same toxins and cancer-causing substances as smokers. … This helps explain why nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke develop some of the same diseases that smokers do,” said Carmona, whose 4-year term expired at the end of July. “Breathing secondhand smoke for even a short time can damage cells and set the cancer process in motion.”