Second-Hand Smoke Reduced in New York




no smoking On September 25, 2007, The Journal of the American Medical Association reported on the results of a study conducted in New York, which purpose was to determine whether second-hand smoking had been reduced in the city following the implementation of a State-wide Smoking Ban in June, 2003.

Second-hand smoke is dangerous for health. It can cause the onset of premature diseases, such as heart disease and lung cancer, in non-smokers. The U.S. Surgeon General points out that the full protection of non-smokers’ health can only be achieved if smoking is completely eliminated from indoor spaces such as restaurants, apartments building, hotels, and offices. The study, called the “New York Adult Tobacco Survey”, has revealed that, after the implementation of an overall ban on smoking in indoor public places, second-hand smoke exposure to non-smokers was reduced significantly.

The survey, focused on residents’ attitudes, beliefs and behaviours in relation to tobacco use, included about 2,000 adults in the state of New York. The percentage of respondents, reporting an exposure to second-hand smoke in bars and restaurants after the implementation of the ban, decreased by almost 20%. In workplaces, it decreased about 13.6%. Saliva samples of the survey participants showed an almost 50% decrease in the amount of harmful chemicals derived from tobacco smoke.

The “Healthy People” objectives for the coming years call for further reductions of smoking in the United States. It is planned that, by the year 2010, indoor smoking in offices and other public premises will have been 100% eliminated in all 50 states. Today, there are still about 126 million Americans exposed to second-hand smoke in public places.

It is also reported that the measures taken to prohibit smoking in hotels and dining areas have been associated with a considerable reduction in the rate of respiratory diseases, which, in time, should result in an overall decrease in non-smokers’ mortality from lung cancer and pulmonary emphysema.

Although additional studies are required to confirm the results of the New York tobacco survey, the preliminary findings show that a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places can be very effective in reducing both second-hand smoke exposure and the incidence of diseases associated with it. The results of the research will be  used to promote and lobby for the implementation of a complete smoke-free air law in the state of New York and in the entire U.S.

Jimmy Edwards

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Posted on September 27, 2007 
Filed Under Stop Smoking News

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