Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. Also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), it can be recognized easily by its distinctive odor. ETS contaminates the air and is retained by clothing, curtains and furniture. Many people find ETS unpleasant, annoying and irritating to the eyes and nose. More importantly, it represents a dangerous health hazard. Over 4,000 different chemicals have been identified in ETS, and at least 43 of these chemicals cause cancer. In fact, back in 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a report which classified ETS as a Class A carcinogen. In other words, the EPA has determined that ETS is a known cause of cancer.

Infants and children are especially susceptible: their lungs are still developing and childhood exposure to secondhand smoke results in decreased lung function. Children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to develop asthma, the leading serious chronic childhood disease in the US.

• In the U.S., 43 percent of children are exposed to secondhand smoke in their own homes and 85 percent of children have detectable levels of cotinine in their blood. In Missouri, over 352,000 children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the severity and frequency of asthma episodes; 200,000 to 1,000,000 asthmatic children with asthma have experienced aggravated symptoms.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke causes 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchitis) annually in children 18 months and younger; these infections result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year.
• Secondhand smoke exposure causes buildup of fluid in the middle ear, resulting in 700,000 to 1.6 million physician office visits. Middle ear infections are the most common cause of childhood operations and of childhood hearing loss.
• A California EPA study estimated 1,900 to 2,700 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths annually associated with secondhand smoke exposure. SIDS is the major cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age.

In order to educate parents of newborns about the dangers of secondhand smoke, Tobacco Free Missouri is partnering with local area hospitals to provide packets of information and baby t-shirts to remind parents to not smoke around their children. On May 31, 2003 the local hospitals will be distributing these items to parents of newborns at the hospitals for World No Tobacco Day. The information included in the packet discusses secondhand smoke and its effects on children and infants, the Environmental Protection Agency's "Take the Smoke Free Home Pledge" initiative and local smoking cessation resources. Participating hospitals include Barnes Hospital, Barnes Hospital - St. Peters, DePaul Hospital, Jefferson Memorial Hospital, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, St. Anthony's Medical Center, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Joseph's Hospital - Kirkwood, St. Joseph's Hospital - St. Charles, St. Joseph's Hospital - West, St. Luke's Hospital and St. Mary's Health Center.

Here are some steps parents can take to reduce their family's exposure to secondhand smoke:

• If a parent smokes, advise them to quit.
• Make their home a smoke-free zone. Remove ashtrays from their home and place signs in the home asking people not to smoke. Remember, air flows throughout a house, so smoking in even one room allows smoke to go everywhere.
• Protect their children by letting caregivers and babysitters know that they do not allow smoking in their home or around their children.
• Let family, friends and people they work with know that they do care if they smoke around them.
• In their cars, do not smoke or allow others to smoke. Opening windows in not enough to clear the air.
• In restaurants, shopping malls, bowling alleys and other public places, sit in the non-smoking area or only go to those that are smoke-free. A listing of smoke-free places in the St. Louis metropolitan area can be found on www.breatheeasymo.org.

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is the first and only global event where smokers around the world unite to break free from their dependence on tobacco. First held in 1988, and observed annually on May 31, WNTD is the only global event established to raise awareness of the international impact of tobacco use and promote a tobacco-free environment. Information on WNTD can also be found at www.wntd.org.

Tobacco Free Missouri is a grassroots initiative designed to reduce tobacco use in Missouri through collaboration with local community organizations, health departments and concerned individuals. Tobacco Free Missouri encourages communities to strengthen tobacco control policies so that "tobacco free" becomes the norm. Concerned Missourians can achieve this by working together to improve policies in schools, worksites, health care settings and the community at-large.

For more information, please contact Pat Lindsey, Project Director for Tobacco Free Missouri - Greater Saint Louis Coalition, at 314-977-8104. Or you may contact her by email at lindseyp@slu.edu. You may also contact Emily Pike, Chair of the Healthcare Committee for Tobacco Free Missouri, and a health educator for the Saint Louis County Department of Health. She can be reached at 314-615-1672 or by email at epike@stlouisco.com.

Sources:
American Lung Association website, www.lungusa.org
American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery website, www.entnet.org