University Daily Kansan / Thursday, May 2, 1991
5
The effect second-hand smoke has on people's health recently has come under intense scrutiny.
EPA panel seeks new ranking for deadly second-hand smoke
By Amy Francis
Kansan staff writer
Second-hand smoke not only can be irritating to a non-smoker, it also is the cause of death for 53,000 people and leading cause of preventable death.
A scientific panel of the Environmental Protection Agency has suggested that second-hand smoke be classified as a Type A carcinogen, the most dangerous cause of cancer, said Brian Gilpin, communication and marketing director for the Topeka American Heart Association.
Janie Demo, coordinator for the health education department at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that passive smokers could be exposed to many problems that smokers did, including worsened heart and lung conditions.
A passive smoker breathes someone else's cigarette smoke.
"They're taking in some of the
toxins that the smokers are," Demo said.
Passive smokers also breathe in twice as much tar and nicotine as smokers, five times as much carbon monoxide and 50 times as much ammonia, because the passive smoker does not have a filter at the cigarette end that some smokers inhale through. Demo said.
But Charles Yockey, chief of staff at Watkins, said, "The risk of lung cancer from passive smoking is fortunately relatively small. Most passive smoking basically is annoying to non-smokers."
Usually years of exposure to second-hand smoke is required for lung cancer to develop, he said.
The environment also is a factor. If the smoker is in an open environment, the risk is lower than in a small area such as a car.
If the exposure to second-hand smoke is stopped before permanent
damage is done, the body will rid itself of the toxins in about six weeks.
Gilpin said that passive smoke also diminished the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body and diminished the heart's ability to turn the oxygen into energy.
"It has an overall damaging effect on the cardiovascular system," he said.
Vockey said that people had varying degrees of sensitivity to smoke. Children and asthmatic adults were susceptible to second-hand smoke
For those who are sensitive, the best way to avoid the problems of passion smoke is to stay away from them. But smoke especially in social settings, he said.
"If you go into a club where there are a lot of smokers, there's no way to get away from the smoke until you leave," he said.
Cash For extbooks
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