Ask the CIS : Cancer Information Service : August 2006
"Ask the CIS" is a short, easy-to-read cancer column providing answers to cancer related questions. The column is based on the latest cancer information from the National Cancer Institute. The Cancer Information Service of the Mid-South produces four columns, in question-and-answer format, monthly.
Q: Does secondhand smoke cause cancer?
A: Yes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, secondhand smoke is a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Secondhand smoke exposure causes lung cancer. Thousands of Americans die each year from lung cancer because they were exposed to secondhand smoke.
The U.S. Surgeon General recently released a report stating that breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be harmful.
For information about cancer and the risks of tobacco smoke, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.
You may find it helpful to read The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. You can find it on the Surgeon General’s Web site at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/.
Q: What makes tobacco smoke so harmful?
A: The National Toxicology Program estimates that at least 250 chemicals in tobacco smoke are known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer causing). These chemicals cause lung cancer, heart disease, and breathing problems.
The poisonous gases and chemicals found in tobacco smoke include:
• hydrogen cyanide (used in chemical weapons)
• carbon monoxide (found in car exhaust)
• butane (used in lighter fluid)
• ammonia (used in household cleaners)
• toluene (found in paint thinners)
Smoke is toxic to both smokers and nonsmokers. The U.S. Surgeon General recently released a report stating that breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be harmful.
You may want to read The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. This report is available on the Surgeon General’s Web site at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/.
For information about cancer and the risks of tobacco smoke, call the Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER.
Q: Is it bad for my health to be around my husband while he’s smoking?
A: Yes. The U.S. Surgeon General recently released a report stating that breathing even a little secondhand smoke poses a risk to your health. Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer. Thousands of Americans die each year from lung cancer because of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke also causes heart disease and breathing problems.
You may find it helpful to read The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. You can find it on the Surgeon General’s Web site at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/.
If you want to learn more about the risks of tobacco smoke, call the Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER.
Q: How can I protect my young son from secondhand smoke?
A: Young children are even more vulnerable than adults to the toxins in secondhand smoke. Opening a window, sitting in a separate area, or using ventilation, air conditioning, or a fan cannot eliminate secondhand smoke exposure. You can protect your son by making your home and car smoke-free zones.
Here are some other tips:
- Make sure that your son’s school or day care center is smoke-free.
- Choose restaurants and other businesses that are smoke-free.
- Ask people not to smoke around you and your son.
- Teach your son to stay away from secondhand smoke.
Breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be harmful. The U.S. Surgeon General recently released a report stating that infants and children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infections, and more severe asthma.
You may find it helpful to read The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. You can find it on the Surgeon General’s Web site at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/.
The National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) is one of the country’s most trusted resources. Ask the CIS is distributed by the (region) CIS, which serves (list states). Call the CIS toll-free at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
