Even a Little Secondhand Smoke Is Dangerous
- Stanton A. Glantz, PhD;
- William W. Parmley, MD
- Author Affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
As more and more nonsmokers have come to understand the dangers associated with breathing secondhand smoke,1-2 the number of communities enacting ordinances requiring smoke-free workplaces and public places has increased rapidly. As of May 2001, hundreds of communities had enacted laws requiring smoke-free workplaces, smoke-free restaurants, and smoke-free bars. California requires all workplaces, including restaurants and bars, to be smoke-free.3-4 The theme for the World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day in 2001 was "clean indoor air" and communities throughout the world are beginning to clear the air of secondhand smoke. Not only do the laws protect nonsmokers from the toxins in secondhand smoke, but they also create an environment that helps smokers cut down or stop smoking.5
The tobacco industry's efforts to slow the spread of smoke-free environments has included a systematic effort to attempt to undermine the scientific evidence that passive …
