Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Around smokers, everyone smokes

Theres nothing like lighting a cigarette up after a good meal, or a tough day at work, or possibly just whenever the need is felt.

However, when someone smokes, everyone around them is smoking as well, even if they dont have a cigarette. This includes a persons family. The end result of secondhand smoke could be a loved one being diagnosed with cancer.

According to information from the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas, living with a smoker is the equivalent of inhaling 50 packs of cigarettes a year.

Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the nation, killing 53,000 non-smokers annually. For every eight smokers who die from tobacco related diseases, one non-smoker dies because of secondhand smoke.

Heres another little tidbit about smoking. It takes more than three hours for 95 percent of the smoke in a room to go away once smoking has ended in the room. The smell, though, can linger longer, and the walls are stained with the tars in the cigarette smoke.

The first evidence of secondhand smoke being deadly to others came in 1975, when there was proof it was a cause lung cancer and heart disease. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a scientific study with much the same information in 1992, showing how secondhand smoke can kill.

In fact, tobacco smoke is responsible for more deaths than alcohol, auto accidents, AIDS, suicides, murders and illegal drugs combined. Think about this the next time a craving hits.

Many employers and employees know the dangers of secondhand smoke and support clean indoor air policies. A lot of businesses have designated smoking areas for their employees who smoke, and allow smoke breaks so they can indulge in this habit.

A 1997 report from the California Environmental Protection Agency stated the chemicals found in secondhand smoke are linked to lung and nasal sinus cancer, heart disease and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In children, secondhand smoke can cause asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, middle ear infections, chronic respiratory symptoms and low birth weight.

And theres nothing romantic or sexy about the chemicals found in secondhand smoke. They include methane (sewer gas), acetone (found in fingernail polish remover), arsenic, DDT (an insect repellant banished for use in the U.S.), cadmium (used in batteries) and ammonia (used to clean toilets). To date, more than 50 compounds found in tobacco smoke have been identified as carcinogenic.

Another problem caused by secondhand smoke is it reduces effectiveness of those who dont smoke in the workplace. The estimated cost linked with secondhand smoke on non-smokers ranges from $56 to $490 per smoker per year. In addition, workers exposed to secondhand smoke on the job are 34 percent more likely to get lung cancer.

Arkansas ranks higher in deaths per 100,000 in annual cancer deaths than the national average. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 211.5 Arkansans per 100,000 die each year from cancer, while the norm in the U.S. is 199.8. These figures were from 2004.

Checking statistics on cancer and cancer deaths shows Arkansas higher almost across the board than the national average.

For lung cancer, the state figures are 68.8 per 100,000, while that national average is 56.2 overall. For whites this figure is 68.9 in the state and 56.2 nationally. For blacks, its 69.8 in Arkansas and 65.2 nationally.

The overall deaths per 100,000 from colorectal cancer in Arkansas is 21, with the national average close at 20.8. For whites its 20 in Arkansas and 20.3 in the U.S. For blacks its 29.0 in the state and 28.3 nationally.

Arkansas is below the national average on breast cancer deaths per100,000. Arkansass figure is 25.1 while nationally it is 27.0. For whites, the number is 23.4 in the state and 26.4 nationally. For black women, the figure climbs to 36.9 in Arkansas, while its 35.4 in the U.S.

Looking at prostate cancer Arkansas is again higher than the national average. Arkansas has 33.6 deaths per 100,000 from prostate cancer, while the national figure is 31.5. For whites, the figure in Arkansas is 29.0, though the U.S. norm is 28.8. For blacks, the figure skyrockets to 75.7 in Arkansas and 70.4 nationally.

Cancer, according to the CDC, is the second leading cause of death in America claiming more than 1,500 lives daily. The CDC states 1.4 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year.

Edie Greenwood, with the Nevada County Health Unit, said area residents can help fight the cancer plague by reducing stress, eating right, not smoking and getting plenty of exercise. In addition, annual cancer screenings can prevent the disease from spreading by catching it early. Men should get prostate-specific antigen blood tests annually, especially after the age of 50, while women should get annual mammograms, and check themselves monthly.