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Dr. Killackey - No Safe Level Of Secondhand Smoke
October 14, 2010
For Immediate Release:
There Is No Safe Level Of Secondhand Smoke – Period
Statement from Dr. Maureen Killackey, CMO of the American Cancer Society of NY & NJ, regarding the proposed expansion of New York City’s Clean Air Act:
"Secondhand smoke is a silent killer. Thousands upon thousands of Americans die every year of heart disease and lung cancer caused by this toxic chemical.
We've heard the argument that smoke dissipates outdoors, that it's carried away by the wind and therefore safe. This is simply not true. Current studies show that over half of nonsmoking New Yorkers are smoking against their will, even with indoor smoking bans in place across the city.
The message from the American Cancer Society is the same as that of the Surgeon General, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association of New York, and the Coalition for Tobacco Free Kids: there is no safe level of secondhand smoke – period.
The American Cancer Society believes that no one should be subjected to secondhand smoke. New Yorkers deserve the chance to take their children to the playground or spend an afternoon walking along the beach without being exposed to the dangerous effects of tobacco smoke. Intro 332 will protect our families and we are proud to work with Mayor Bloomberg in achieving this mission.”
Additional facts:
- Cancer is rapidly becoming a global pandemic. World Health Organization statistics show that this year, cancer will become the number one cause of death in the world – with much of the rise in cancer deaths attributed to widespread tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Inhalation of toxic secondhand smoke, a Class A carcinogen, is damaging to the body over time. It contains over 4,000 substances, more than 50 of which are known or suspected to cause cancer in humans and animals, and many of which are strong irritants. And while it is a commonly known fact that smoking causes fatal cancers, secondhand smoke is directly attributed to 3,400 deaths per year from lung cancer. This does not include a suspected link between secondhand smoke and cancers of the breast, bladder, cervix, esophagus and head and neck.
- A recent study found that 57% of non-smoking New York residents had cotinine in their bloodstream. This is indicative of the sad fact that, despite legislation prohibiting smoking in most indoor spaces, well over half of the non-smoking population is inhaling this toxic brew against their will.
- In addition to the frightening health effects, there is the added fact that children are easily influenced by adult smoking that they observe in public. Reducing the frequency with which children and teens see adult smoking will have an impact on the risk of young people starting to smoke. Each day, 5,000 kids under the age of 18 try their first cigarette. We must always be working to reverse this dangerous trend.
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