Study confirms link between passive smoking and lung cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Passive smoking in the workplace shown to increase lung cancer risk.
There is evidence from many studies that exposure to passive smoking is bad for your health. Now researchers at the University of Illinois report upon an analysis which strengthens the link between passive smoking and lung cancer.

They combined data from 22 studies looking at workplace passive smoking and lung cancer risk. Moreover, they looked at the level and duration of passive smoking and lung cancer risk. There was a 24 per cent increase in lung cancer risk among those exposed to passive smoking. Those who were highly exposed had a 100 per cent increased risk. And those with a long duration of passive smoking had a 50 per cent increased risk. The researchers believe this to be the strongest evidence yet of an association between smoking and lung cancer. They hope these findings will encourage those countries and cities that have yet to ban smoking in the workplace to hurry up and do so, for the sake of their citizens' health.

Source
American Journal of Public Health online 31st January 2007 (print March)

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