Passive smoking a real risk

Passive Smoking Does Cause Lung Cancer; Do Not Let Them Fool You. This was the heading of a press release from the World Health Organisation (WHO), dated March 9, 1998. It is really a pity to note that in this day and age, there are still people who find it hard to accept the potential ill-effects associated with passive or second-hand smoking.

All one needs to do is to log on to the Google internet site and type "passive smoking" in the search space provided, and several scientific studies from reliable sources such as the Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine pop up on screen. If this is not enough to satisfy the doubts, then consider the following:

The recent report from the UK government's Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) concluded that passive smoking is a cause of lung cancer and that in those with long-term exposure, the increased risk is 20-30 per cent. It also concluded that passive smoking is a cause of ischaemic heart disease, serious respiratory illness, asthmatic attacks, middle-ear disease in children and of sudden infant death syndrome.

All in all, more than 50 studies of involuntary smoking and lung cancer risk in never-smokers, especially spouses of smokers, have been published during the last 25 years, in many countries. There is even data suggesting that dogs living in smoking households also have an increased risk for certain cancers. Therefore, it is evidently clear that environmental smoke is a significant health hazard. So, although there are still a number of people who believe that we have little to worry about passive smoking, they are losing credibility as the evidence mounts against them.

Experimental model systems for exposure to second-hand smoking do not fully simulate human exposures and the tumours that develop in animals (usually rodents) may not be completely representative of human cancers. Therefore, sceptical people who still falsely believe that inhaling toxic tobacco smoke is not harmful are more than welcome if they volunteer to participate (at their own risk) in controlled studies as guinea pigs!

The Health Promotion Department will continue to strive hard in order to make sure that the law that prohibits smoking in public places will continue to be enforced, thus attracting the interest of other European countries which like Spain, decided to follow our positive steps towards maintaining good health for all.

People who have further queries are advised to phone our new premises at Msida on the following number: 2326 6100 and they will receive professional advice.