Daily Lobo

Column: The perils of secondhand smoke
By: Peggy Spencer / Daily Lobo columnist

UNM is considering becoming a smoke-free campus.

Smoking is already prohibited inside the buildings and within 20 feet of entrances. I'm a physician and I feel moved to offer information about the health effects of secondhand smoke and smoke-free workplaces.

In case you think this doesn't apply to you, you should know that 15 percent of UNM students smoke cigarettes, according to a 2006 survey. Twenty percent of New Mexico adults smoke. That puts us roughly in the middle. Utah is the lowest, with just under 10 percent of adults smoking, and Kentucky is the highest at almost 30 percent. So, even if you are a nonsmoker, chances are very good that you will be exposed to secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke is made of sidestream smoke from the burning end of the cigarette or cigar, plus exhaled mainstream smoke from the smoker's mouth and lungs. Everyone knows that cigarette smoke is harmful to the smoker. We know that secondhand smoke is harmful to the nonsmoker, as well.

There are more than 250 toxic chemicals in secondhand smoke, including at least 50 that are known to cause cancer. Secondhand smoke has been classified as a known human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. An example of a carcinogen in secondhand smoke is formaldehyde, which is used to preserve biology tissue specimens and to embalm bodies.

Besides carcinogens, secondhand smoke contains many toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, the deadly gas in car exhaust; chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide used in chemical weapons; and heavy metals, such as arsenic.

The degree of secondhand smoke exposure can be measured. There is a chemical named cotinine that is a unique metabolite of nicotine. In other words, it doesn't exist anywhere except in the blood, urine and saliva of people exposed to nicotine, including secondhand smokers.

Outdoor studies are difficult, as outdoor secondhand smoke is difficult to quantify, but I have no doubt the evidence is forthcoming. Meanwhile, a degree of extrapolation to outdoor environments is reasonable.

Secondhand smoke is a respiratory irritant. An irritated respiratory system is more susceptible to colds, bronchitis, allergies and asthma. It is also a carcinogen, estimated to cause 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year in nonsmokers.

Smoking increases the chance of getting heart disease. So does secondhand smoke. The moment you inhale secondhand smoke, the platelets in your blood become stickier and the lining of your blood vessels is damaged right away. This increases the risk of a clot forming inside your blood vessels, which could cause a heart attack or stroke.

Long term, secondhand smoke causes heart disease. In fact, a conservative estimate is that secondhand smoke causes 35,000 heart disease deaths a year in nonsmokers. That's equivalent to the whole UNM student body.

Babies and children are especially susceptible to secondhand smoke. Low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome and respiratory infections are some of the problems that can be caused by secondhand smoke in babies.

Another group that can be adversely affected by secondhand smoke is ex-smokers. For some, even a whiff of smoke in the air really triggers their craving and makes it tough to stay quit.

If you can smell smoke, you're secondhand smoking. Will one puff kill you? Doubtful. But if you already have asthma or heart disease, it could trigger an asthma attack or a heart attack. Far more likely than instant death is temporary irritation of mood and respiratory system and gradual buildup effects discussed above.

How much is too much? The surgeon general has issued a conclusion that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke. The only way to really protect nonsmokers from smoke is to have separate, indoor, isolated buildings for smokers.

Naturally, I would be happy if nobody ever smoked again. But smoking is a legal activity and we can't stop people from making legal behavior choices. Since smoking affects others, however, it becomes a public health issue.

Arizona was the first state to institute bans on smoking in public buildings. Most other states have followed suit. Federal measures have led to smoking bans on airplanes, federal buildings and facilities that provide federally funded services to children. Some businesses such as Nike and Scott Paper now have 100 percent smoke-free campuses. Over 100 colleges and universities in the U.S. are completely smoke-free, as well.

Public health policy is only as good as the health outcome. It turns out, smoking bans actually help people quit. Their co-workers and household members benefit, as well. Body fluid levels of cotinine have fallen 70 percent overall in the last 15 years. However, there are still measurable levels of cotinine in 43 percent of nonsmokers in the U.S.

The healthiest way to deal with cigarette smoke is to avoid it. Don't start smoking in the first place. If you smoke, quit. This is far easier said than done. But it is possible.

The good news for UNM students is that there is free help available to help you quit. The Peer Consultants at the Student Health Center do one-on-one counseling, and it costs absolutely nothing for students. Call 277-3136 to make an appointment.

Peggy Spencer has been a UNM student-health physician for 16 years. E-mail your questions to her at Pspencer@unm.edu. All questions will be considered and all questioners will remain anonymous. This column has general health information only and cannot replace a visit to a health care provider.