Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do we know about the health effects of ETS exposure on adults and children?
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), also known as secondhand smoke, passive smoking or involuntary smoking, is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of tobacco products (sidestream smoke) and the mainstream smoke exhaled by smokers, and contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including more than 60 known carcinogens, nicotine, and carbon monoxide.
In 2004, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined that ETS is carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Reports of the U.S. Surgeon General (1986, 2006), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1992), the California Environmental Protection Agency (1997; 2005), and the National Toxicology Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2000), among others, concur with this finding. The recently released Report of the Surgeon General (2006) provides a comprehensive analysis of the hazards of ETS exposure.
It is estimated that, each year, 3,400 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers are attributed to ETS exposure. ETS exposure also increases one's risk for coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality, and can cause serious health problems in infants and children, including sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. The 2006 Surgeon General Report concludes that there is no known safe level of ETS exposure.
2. Can reduced ETS exposure help people quit smoking?
In addition, to the benefits of reducing ETS exposure for the general health and well-being of the public, recent studies have shown that smoke-free environments facilitate quit attempts by those addicted to tobacco, improving their health as well (Longo et al., 2001; Pizacani et al. 2004).
3. What have communities and states done to protect their citizens from ETS exposure?
Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces is the only way to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. The Surgeon General (2006) states that separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.
In the United States, numerous towns, cities, counties and states prohibit smoking in public places and indoor workplaces, including restaurants and/or bars. Several entire nations around the world, including Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and Norway, now completely ban smoking in indoor environments, and many more are considering doing so. Smoke-free laws are largely self-enforcing and benefit both nonsmokers by eliminating exposure to ETS, and smokers by providing an environment that facilitates quitting.
4. What is meant by "smoke-free?"
Today, the term "smoke-free" is generally reserved for a law that provides total protection for the general public and employees, by completely prohibiting smoking indoors within one or more types of facilities. Smoke-free laws specify the types of facilities they cover, for example, government buildings, day care centers, public places, workplaces, etc. Older laws commonly provided exceptions to a complete prohibition on indoor smoking; in some cases, these older laws provide very near complete protection, despite the exception. Newer laws are extending protection to facilities that were not typically included in the past, such as restaurants, bars, casinos, bingo parlors and other similar establishments. The more complete and comprehensive the protection afforded the public and employees, the greater the decrease in ETS exposure and disease risk.
5. Who remains at risk from ETS exposure?
Despite enormous progress, many adults and children remain at risk. In 1999, almost 70% of the U.S. indoor workforce was covered by a smoke-free workplace policy. However, blue collar workers were far less likely to be covered by a smoke-free workplace policy than white collar workers (52% vs. 76%). Food service workers had the lowest rate of coverage of any occupational category (42%), with coverage of wait staff (28%) and bartenders (13%) lowest of all. In 2000, one in four homes with children permitted smoking in the home; however, smoking in the home was far more common in families with lower levels of parental education. As of the year 2000, the Surgeon General has estimated that 126 million nonsmokers remain at risk of ETS exposure.
6. Why has NIDA instituted a Smoke-Free Meeting Policy?
Increasingly, health organizations recognize their exemplar role and are considering holding conferences only in jurisdictions that protect the public from ETS. C-Change, the American Public Health Association and others have enacted policies requiring that their conferences be held only in smoke-free jurisdictions. Recently, the NCI was the first NIH Institute to institute such a policy. Following their lead, NIDA will be convening meetings and conferences only in smoke-free cities, counties and states thereby recognizing the contribution of jurisdictions that have chosen to protect the public from ETS exposure, helping to make progress toward NIDA's goal of eliminating the adverse health effects of tobacco use.
7. When will the NIDA policy go into effect?
The policy will go into effect on January 1, 2007.
8. Will compliance with the policy be monitored?
Yes. NIDA staff will now be asked to indicate on their meeting summary forms whether or not each meeting was held in a smoke-free jurisdiction and if not, provide an explanation.
9. Will holding the meeting at a smoke-free facility satisfy the policy?
No. It is not sufficient for a meeting or conference facility itself to be smoke-free. Rather, to satisfy the policy, it must be located in a jurisdiction that is smoke-free. This is because one purpose of the NIDA policy (guideline) is to recognize the contribution of jurisdictions that protect the public and employees from ETS, not simply to protect the health of those who attend NIDA conferences.
10. Who can I contact if I have a specific question?
Please send your question via email to: charyau@nida.nih.gov
To view smoke-free locations in the USA please go to Smoke-Free Policy Main Page
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