"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" — what a great song! My mom used to sing it to my dad because he was a smoker and she wanted him to stop. He didn't until he was 65 years old; he was married to my mom for 44 years when he finally quit. My siblings and I were exposed to secondhand smoke for many years. Both my brother and sister smoked at one time; I never did.
When I was 24, I was hired by Northeast Airlines and Delta Airlines for 29 years and worked in a smoking-allowed business until they changed the rules in 1983. The airlines' solution at that time was one-half of the reservations department floor was smoking and one-half was non-smoking — not very efficient for a smoke-free environment.
Over the years, I developed various reactions to tobacco smoke: teary eyes, loss of voice and breathing problems. Each time, I had chest X-rays, breathing tests and medicine.
For the past 10 years, I've enjoyed smoke-free restaurants, homes and offices and have studied the American Lung Association's many medical brochures, computer data and ads about smoking. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body. The smoke affects not only smokers but also the people around them.
Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States, causing over 393,000 deaths per year.
Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard for people of all ages and is estimated to cause close to 50,000 deaths each year. It can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects including lung cancer, respiratory infections and asthma.
The 2006 surgeon general's report on secondhand smoke concluded that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and the potential to increase the risk of heart attacks remains.
Research into previously secret tobacco industry documents reveals that cigarette company Philip Morris in the 1980s showed secondhand smoke to be highly toxic, yet the company suppressed these findings during the next two decades.
These facts may all be found at www.AmericanLungAssc.com.
Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to young children. It is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections for infants and children under 18 months of age, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year and causes 430 sudden infant deaths (SIDS) in the U.S. annually (November 2002 California Environmental Protection Agency).
Exposure to secondhand smoke may cause buildup of fluid in the middle ear, resulting in 790,000 physician office visits per year. It can also aggravate symptoms in 400,000 to 1,000,000 children with asthma (CEPA-IBID) (CEPA-IBID).
In the U.S., 21 million or 35 percent of children live in homes where residents or visitors smoke in the home on a regular basis. Approximately 50 to 75 percent of these children have detectable levels of Cotinine, the breakdown product of nicotine in the blood (Frank T. Pham, C.B., Schuster, Mass) November 2002 Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine; 156 1094-100.
For these facts go on line at www.LUNGUSA.org or call 1-800-586-4872.
Personally, I was recently exposed to secondhand smoke and was told I exaggerated my reaction. I would like everyone to know that this incident required me to have a chest X-ray and a pulmonary function test that came out, fortunately, OK, no acute findings. However, I was tied up for over two hours of my time and $1,200 of medical costs to my insurance. No small expenditure.
There is a wonderful American Lung Association ad airing on television the last several months. I urge all of you readers to try to see it. It's very eye-opening.
May all of you have a joyous, healthy New Year!
• • •
SaraAnne Eames lives in Newburyport.
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