The dangers of second hand smoke are well documented. Now, those that make the second-hand toxins are at risk of getting a double dose of unhealthy air, courtesy of themselves.
A recently study shows that smokers who inhale their own secondhand smoke in enclosed spaces add significantly to the health risks associated with cigarette smoking.
The study, published in Environmental Health, shows that for a smoker who smokes 14 cigarettes a day, inhaling his or her own secondhand smoke by smoking in an enclosed space results in exposure to the equivalent of smoking another 2.6 cigarettes.
According to reports, researchers say the results contradict the prevailing assumption that the additional dangers of inhaling secondhand smoke would be negligible in comparison to the risks associated with directly inhaling cigarette smoke for smokers.
Researchers analyzed the contribution of secondhand smoke to total carcinogen (the cancer causing-compounds in tobacco) exposure in 15 smokers who worked as newsagents in Italy.
The results showed that secondhand smoke accounted for between 15 and 23 percent for regular cigarettes and 21 and 34 percent for light cigarettes of a measure of carcinogen exposure.
The average smoker in the study smoked 14 cigarettes per day; inhaling of the smoker’s own secondhand smoke added the carcinogen equivalent of smoking another 2.6 regular cigarettes, according to the study.
In addition, inhaling secondhand smoke from other smokers in the environment added the equivalent of 1.3 regular cigarettes to daily carcinogen exposure.
Known on the social web as “BigGuyD,” Don Martelli is just a dad, moonlighting as a digital marketer, photog and civilian journalist. He’s the executive editor for Technorati. Connect with him at www.donmartelli.com.
