Passive smoking takes the lives of 42,000 people
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Passive smoking takes the lives of 42,000 people annually in the US alone, including 900 children dying from passive smoking.
In total, the annual number of deaths from passive smoking can be approximated by nearly 60,000 years of potential life lost due to tobacco smoke clubs.
The study, using biomarker analysis to assess the physical and economic consequences of exposure to cigarette smoke, has shown that passive smoking causes harm unequally, but it is especially harmful to African Americans, especially black babies.
The results of the study show that despite all the efforts of public health organizations to reduce tobacco consumption, passive smoking continues to cause irreparable harm to the health of non-smokers.
"Looking at the situation in general, the number of smokers has declined and many have changed their habits, focusing on a healthy lifestyle, but according to our data, the effects of tobacco still do great damage," said lead author of the study, Professor Wendy Max. "The ability to analyze biomarkers allows a more accurate assessment of the effects of passive smoking on humans."
Under the influence of tobacco smoke, a number of fatal diseases develop in man, including cardiac and pulmonary diseases. In addition, tobacco smoke - one of the factors affecting the weight of newborns, as well as provoking the development of respiratory distress syndrome.
According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 49,400 adults died due to inhalation of cigarette smoke, and 776 children died in the womb due to the smoking of women during pregnancy.
To assess the effects of passive smoking, the researchers used serum cotinine, a biomarker of nicotine, which determines the chemical consequences of exposure to tobacco smoke in the blood. This analysis reflects the degree of harm to second-hand smoke in all conditions, not just at home or at work, the authors write.
Scientists have measured the economic consequences of passive smoking: how many years of potential life a person can lose, how much the productivity of his labor has decreased, etc. Participants in the study were people of different racial and ethnic groups.
Of the 42,000 people whose deaths were triggered by second-hand smoke, 80% were white, 13% were black, and 4% were from Latin American countries. The vast majority of deaths were caused by ischemic heart disease. The mortality of black children was strikingly high - 24% of 36% of all infant deaths from second-hand smoke. While the black population of the United States is only 13% of the total (as of 2006).
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