New Warnings About Tobacco Smoke and Children

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2005-2-8

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

A new study provides another warning of the dangers from
cigarette smoke around children.

This was one of the largest studies ever of the risks to people
who breathe tobacco smoke in the air. Experts call this "passive
smoking." Many studies have shown increased risks for lung cancer
and other diseases. But few studies have involved people who seemed
healthy when the research began.

Doctor Paolo Vineis of Imperial College, London, led the new
study. The British Medical Journal published the report.

More than one hundred twenty thousand people provided information
about their history of exposure to tobacco smoke. They might have
worked with smokers, or had parents who smoked. The people were from
ten countries in Europe. All said they had never smoked or had
stopped for at least ten years.

The study followed their health for an average of seven years.
During that time, ninety-seven people developed lung cancer. Twenty
developed upper-respiratory cancers. And fourteen died from the lung
disease emphysema.

The report compares lung cancer rates in people who had been
around tobacco smoke as children. Those who had breathed it for many
hours a day were three-and-a-half times more likely to get lung
cancer than those who reported no exposure. Yet the risk was still
one-and-a-half times higher in adults who had breathed tobacco smoke
as children even a few times a week.

The study also found that former smokers had a greater risk of
lung cancer than people who never smoked. This link was limited to
exposure at work. The report says former smokers may be more at risk
from low levels of tobacco smoke. One possible explanation is that
they already have damaged cells.

Smoking causes many disorders. It is the main cause of lung
cancer. Lung cancer is the world's leading cause of cancer deaths.

Last March, Ireland became the first country to ban smoking in
all workplaces. That includes eating and drinking establishments.
Since then, other governments have also moved to limit smoking in
public.

Italy put measures into effect last month. And this week smoking
became illegal in many public places in Cuba, known for its cigars.

Smoking is banned in many public areas in the United States.
Smoking in bars and restaurants is against the law in a few states
and cities, including New York City.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia
Kirk. I'm Gwen Outen.


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