SECONDHAND SMOKE AND LUNG CANCER

Secondhand Smoke and Lung Cancer

Secondhand Smoke and Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs. The abnormal cells reproduce rapidly and form lumps of cancer cells (tumors) that disrupt the lung, making it difficult to function properly. The results of different studies indicate that 85 to 95 percent of lung cancers are smoking related, including second hand smoking-related causes (Levy, 2007). Environmental factors also play a significant role in causing lung cancer. The most effective prevention of lung cancer is to quit smoking, although this habit is extremely hard to quit for heavy smokers or people who started to smoke at an early age.

According to the (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2003), secondhand smoke, also known as “passive smoking” or “environmental tobacco smoke” causes disease and premature death for nonsmoking adults and children, because tobacco smoke contains toxic chemicals that increase health risks. With it widely recognized as harmful to an individual's personal health, smoking now constitutes a universal public health risk.

The U.S. Department of Human Services reports that nicotine is detectible in 43 percent of the nation's nonsmokers. It also notes the exposure of almost 22 million children to secondhand smoke. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) all identify passive smoking as a “known human carcinogen” (cancer-causing agent). Other health risks include asthma, stunted growth, coronary heart disease, and lung cancer.

Even brief exposure could detrimentally affect an individual's health. The American Lung Association states that secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700-69,000 heart disease deaths among U.S. adult nonsmokers. These claims offer support to policymakers who want smoking bans, concerned workers in establishments where smoking is prevalent, and politicians who respond to public ...