Why have so many americans bought into the big myth, the great second hand smoke scare?

Question

Me and many of my friends in their 60's and older that never smoked but was around second hand smoke most of their lives never got sick from it. IMO, this is the big scientific study, not the crap the government tells you. I am amazed at how many Americans are so easy to convince without a published study. I guess most Americans are followers.

Think about this: Prior to 1980, I believe that 60%+ of Americans smoked. Let's say that 40% of Americans breathed second hand smoke. 40% of 250,000,000 people = 100,000,000 people. Since 1980, did 100,000,000 non-smokers die due to second hand smoke?????

Now do you get it? Any questions?

Answer 1

Because many non smokers want to whine about something that doesn't effect them like their car exhaust smoke effects people everyday. The double standard. Many non smokers hate smoke, but drink and drive too, I know a few.

Answer 2

Second hand smoke is disgusting. If it's toxic to those of us who smoke it, how can it not be toxic to those we exhale it near. If you are exposed to second hand smoke every so often, is it going to have a long term effect on you? No, probably not. I think saddest thing about it is that children are really the ones who suffer the most. First of all, they don't have a choice. If mom and dad choose to smoke around them, they have to inhale the smoke. I've seen so many smoker's children have health problems. Chronic ear infections, recurrant bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, recurrant colds.... ALL are more common in children who have parents that smoke. They can occur in kids who have non-smoking parents, but the incidence is significantly higher than those who live in non-smoking households. And have you ever cleaned the walls of a smoker's house? All that yellow sh*t??? Don't even try to tell me that some of that doesn't end up in the people's lungs who are around you... In addition to this, you are talking about cigarrettes as they were manufactured in the 60's and 70's. There were a lot less carcinogens added to them. And, you are implying with your statistic that all 40% of the population exposed would die... that's just not true. Not all smokers develop lung cancer, not all second hand smokers will develop it either. Sorry, it's just flawed logic on your part. For the record I am a smoker. I have a three year old daughter who I have NEVER smoked around, and plan to keep it that way. I am not willing to expose her to toxic chemicals just because I made the bad choice to start smoking. Even your "statistics" and "real study" could not make me light up around her.

Answer 3

There have been studies done that say the exact same thing: second hand smoke does NOT do any harm. The results of these studies may not be as widely known, but it's a fact.



Since when do we trust the government so blindly on anything? Isn't this the same government that told us there were WMD's in the Middle East?



Everyone needs to do some research on this subject before having such a strong opinion that it makes them down-right rude to smokers.



And I know for another fact that drinking kills more people every year than smoking does.

Answer 4

Well, you can call it a scare if you want to. But there was a neighbors little girl that got sick and had to go to the hospital. Blood tests showed nicotine in her system. Her parents are both smokers. Do you get it???? There are many people that it doesn't seem to bother. But on the other hand, there are many people who's allergies, asthma, whatever, are much worse when they are subjected to smoke.



PS....I had 3 friends in their 50's and 60's that smoked most of their lives. No problems ever from smoking.......until about 1 year before they died. Diagnosed with lung cancer, lymphoma, ooooppppss, should not have smoked.

Answer 5

I'm not sure why you think there are no published medical articles or research. There are indeed too many to mention here. Johns Hopkins University and The Mayo Clinic are two research hospitals that do a great deal of work in this subject.



I realize that many smokers are affected by the current smoking bans and taxes and feel ostracized by people, restaurants, etc., simply because they smoke. Both my mother in law and my mother are the same way; they smoke and feel they are treated unfairly in many ways -- we discuss this subject quite frequently.



But the fact is: there are many things that we know now that we didn't know years ago. The importance of seatbelts for instance; the dangers of alcohol; and yes, smoking.



Of course you're entitled to your opinion, but that doesn't negate the current research. And coming up with figures off the top of your head to "strengthen" your argument doesn't necessarily make your stance true either.



Here is one published article:



Published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology:

Measuring Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Children: An Ecological Measurement Approach



An excerpt: “Existing research suggests that medically at-risk children are among the most vulnerable populations for the harmful effects of SHS exposure.”



Here is another:



Published through the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular Effects of Secondhand Smoke



An excerpt: “Secondhand smoke increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 30%. This effect is larger than one would expect on the basis of the risks associated with active smoking and the relative doses of tobacco smoke delivered to smokers and nonsmokers.”



There are too many links to published research articles to list at this website (and yes, there are just regular articles regarding second hand smoke too):



http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/search.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706



**ADD**

And, from personal experience:

I had a very dear friend die from lung cancer -- she never smoked a day in her life; but the doctors said that it was probably due to being raised around smokers and then marrying a smoker -- she was breathing it in from the time she was little and it killed her. I know, I know, you'll say -- this is just one person not hundreds of thousands. But to her family it sure matters.



My son has asthma from being around a smoking father when he was a baby. Every time my daughter visits her grandparents and is around smoke (both grandparents smoke), she comes down with bronchiolitis -- it never fails.



And again, I know you'll somehow rationalize that these "don't count" or they're only three people, it's not conclusive. But you're wrong. The research we have on this subject today is overwhelming. However, if you're determined to keep your head in the sand then no amount of research or case studies is going to dissuade you.

Answer 6

Because the two best studies that say there is no statistical link between SHS and any disease are not widely known, the government did not use them in it's report. The majority don't smoke so it's okay to make second (third?) class citizens out of smokers, text em more and tell them they can't be anywhere near a non smoker. People are willing to accept the findings of junk science if it says what they want it to say.

Answer 7

My son has SEVERE asthma and being around smokers severely aggravates his asthma. That is my problem with second hand smoke!



EDIT: Thumbs down because my 6 year old has problems that are aggravated by smoke? That's sad! And how can any one person say "And I know for another fact that drinking kills more people every year than smoking does." How is it possible that YOU KNOW for a fact? Do you see all the death reports for every person who died in the US and keep tally marks for the ones who died from drinking vs the ones who died from smoking-related deaths?

Answer 8

I can't tell you about stats on the ill effects of second hand smoke but what I can tell you is that if someone is smoking and I am getting their second hand smoke, my clothes, hair, end up of reeking of smoke.

Answer 9

maybe they bought into the myth because breathing second hand smoke makes their eyes water, their throat scratchy, their nose stuffy, it stinks, and is uncomfortable. Maybe you are right, it doesn't kill you but it sure feels like it might.

Answer 10

Oh come on! Why then, did my nonsmoking mother in law die of lung cancer? She never smoked, but her family always smoked around her.



And why did my friend's little boy have such severe asthma till his Mom quit smoking, and then not have another attack?



I could go on, but I am sure you get it now.

Answer 11

hahaha about bloody time! i back you all the way. what is this crap they've put on smokers, it is bullying!!!! this ban to smoke in public is a crock, it is segmentation, and is unfair. and what we smoke get over it. all those health freaks, I'll take one look under their sink and find at least ten cleaning liquids, sprays, bleaches etc which are also harmful, one intake of breath around that and thou sounds of brain cells die. OK all a bit irrelevant but so hypocritical of them. stuff them i want to smoke, get off your high horse you bloody Yankees

Answer 12

For me, it's not so much whether it causes disease. I just hate the smoke. It's an irritant, and it stinks. Keep it away from me.



I guess most smokers are a**holes.

Answer 13

If I dumped raw sewage in your front yard every day, the health risk to you would be fairly minimal. But I shouldn't be allowed to do that, should I? Get it?

Answer 14

You sound a bit ignorant. Sorry, but being a health care provider, I beleive otherwise.

Answer 15

Yes, we get it.



You are correct and your resource is overwhelming.



Ignore those dead bodies over there by the ashtray, they died from laughter.

Answer 16

Americans are better educated regarding the very real and proven, documented results of second hand smoke. You state "Prior to 1980 *I believe* that 60%+ of Americans smoked" then you go on to HYPOTHOSIZE "Let's say that 40% of Americans breathed second hand smoke, etc." In other words, you created these figures/statsistics and yet you impugn the actual scientific studies with regard to this very serious matter? You imply some sort of mental deficiency regarding Americans also, perhaps it is this aspect that is your very real agenda and not the second hand smoke?

Please read my SCIENTIFIC PROOF BELOW:



http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/secondhandsmoke/The_Dangers_of_Second_Hand_Smoke.htm



secondhand smoke may play a role in causing or contributing to a number of health problems, from cardiovascular disease to cancer.



But secondhand smoke is often avoidable. Take steps to safeguard yourself and your loved ones from secondhand smoke.



Toxins in secondhand smoke

What exactly is secondhand smoke? It's two different forms of smoke from cigarettes, pipes or cigars:



Sidestream smoke. This is smoke that wafts from the burning tobacco product.

Mainstream smoke. This is smoke that the smoker exhales.

Secondhand smoke is also known as environmental tobacco smoke, passive smoking, involuntary smoking and a newer, more descriptive term, tobacco smoke pollution.



Regardless of what you call it, both types of secondhand smoke contain harmful chemicals — and a lot of them. Specifically which chemicals are present depend on the type of tobacco product, how it's smoked and the paper in which the tobacco is wrapped. More than 4,000 chemicals make up the haze of secondhand smoke. And more than 60 of the chemicals in cigarette smoke are known to be carcinogenic, which means they may cause cancer.



Some of the substances found in secondhand smoke that are known or suspected to cause cancer include:



Formaldehyde

Arsenic

Cadmium

Benzene

Ethylene oxide



http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/secondhand-smoke/CC00023



secondhand smoke may play a role in causing or contributing to a number of health problems, from cardiovascular disease to cancer.



But secondhand smoke is often avoidable. Take steps to safeguard yourself and your loved ones from secondhand smoke.



Toxins in secondhand smoke

What exactly is secondhand smoke? It's two different forms of smoke from cigarettes, pipes or cigars:



Sidestream smoke. This is smoke that wafts from the burning tobacco product.

Mainstream smoke. This is smoke that the smoker exhales.

Secondhand smoke is also known as environmental tobacco smoke, passive smoking, involuntary smoking and a newer, more descriptive term, tobacco smoke pollution.



Regardless of what you call it, both types of secondhand smoke contain harmful chemicals — and a lot of them. Specifically which chemicals are present depend on the type of tobacco product, how it's smoked and the paper in which the tobacco is wrapped. More than 4,000 chemicals make up the haze of secondhand smoke. And more than 60 of the chemicals in cigarette smoke are known to be carcinogenic, which means they may cause cancer.



Some of the substances found in secondhand smoke that are known or suspected to cause cancer include:



Formaldehyde

Arsenic

Cadmium

Benzene

Ethylene oxide

Here are a few other chemicals in secondhand smoke that might sound familiar, along with their effects on health:



Ammonia — irritates your lungs

Carbon monoxide — hampers breathing by reducing oxygen in your blood

Methanol — toxic when inhaled or swallowed

Hydrogen cyanide — interferes with proper respiratory function

The dangerous particles given off in secondhand smoke can linger in the air for hours. Even breathing them in for a short time — as little as 20 or 30 minutes — can harm your health in a variety ways. And breathing in secondhand smoke over years can be all the more dangerous.



Adult health threats from secondhand smoke

Health experts have recognized the relationship between secondhand smoke and health risks for decades. Research exploring these connections is ongoing.



Some of the known or suspected health risks include:



Cancer

In 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency placed environmental tobacco smoke in the most dangerous category of cancer-causing agents, and subsequent research has upheld that status.



Secondhand smoke is a known risk factor for lung cancer. Experts believe that secondhand smoke is to blame for roughly 3,000 deaths from lung cancer in adult nonsmokers each year in the United States. Secondhand smoke is also linked to cancer of the nasal sinuses. It's also been linked to cancers of the cervix, breast and bladder, but the evidence hasn't been as compelling as the link to lung cancer.



Heart disease

Secondhand smoke harms the cardiovascular system of nonsmokers in many ways. For one thing, it causes coronary heart disease, such as a heart attack. It also damages blood vessels, interferes with circulation and increases the risk of blood clots. It's estimated that some 35,000 nonsmokers die of smoking-related heart disease in the United States every year.



Lung disease

Chronic lung ailments, such as bronchitis and asthma, have been associated with secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke is also associated with chest tightness at night and feelings of breathlessness after physical activity.



The Dangers of Secondhand Smoke:



Secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 deaths each year from lung cancer in non-smokers.3



Secondhand smoke causes irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.4



Secondhand smoke can also irritate the lungs, leading to coughing, excessive phlegm and chest discomfort.5



Secondhand smoke has been estimated to cause 22,700-69,600 deaths per year from heart disease in adult nonsmokers.6



Secondhand Smoke Especially Hurts Children!



Children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis, and other lung diseases.7



Children who breathe secondhand smoke have more ear infections.8



Children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to develop asthma.9



Children who have asthma and who breathe secondhand smoke have more asthma attacks.10



There are an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 cases every year of infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia in infants and children under 18 months of age who breathe secondhand smoke. These result in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations!11



http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39858



NOW DO YOU GET IT? ANY QUESTIONS?