Second-Hand Smoke is a Killer

ABOUT 4000 chemicals, 200 poisons and 40 cancer-causing compounds can be found in second-hand smoke.

Second-hand smoke is not only a discomfort and a nuisance. It can result in serious health problems, with about 350 New Zealanders dying each year from illnesses caused by it.

There have been particular concerns about the harmful effects of second-hand smoke in high-risk environments.

One of these has been indoor hospitality venues, where about 10,000 New Zealanders work.

Pregnant women and children are also at high risk.

Research shows clearly that second-hand smoke increases the risk of heart disease, strokes and lung cancer among non-smokers, and increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (Sids or cot death), asthma, middle-ear disease and respiratory infections in children.

Some studies and some representatives of the tobacco industry have claimed that the risks of second-hand smoke are minimal.

However, these views are contradicted by the majority of independent scientific findings.

The recently finalised draft of International Framework Convention on Tobacco Control includes recognition that “scientific evidence has unequivocally established that exposure to tobacco smoke causes death, disease and disability”.

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