California air board releases 
secondhand smoke report

SACRAMENTO, CA (10/11/05) -- The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released a report which links environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) to a variety of health effects ranging from asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and increased incidences of breast cancer in non-smoking pre-menopausal women.

"These findings again heighten the need to minimize the public's exposure to tobacco smoke," said ARB Executive Officer, Catherine Witherspoon. "This information should be considered before anyone lights up another cigarette, especially around infants and children."

The joint ARB and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) report cites new and strengthening evidence that links secondhand tobacco smoke to a wide variety of adverse health effects, including increased incidences of cancer, heart disease and respiratory ailments, as well as the increased incidences of breast cancer in non-smoking pre-menopausal women. In addition to the breast cancer finding, other significant findings of the report include the correlation of exposure to secondhand smoke to premature and low birth-weight babies, SIDS, bronchitis, pneumonia, the induction and exacerbation of asthma, and to middle ear infections in children. In adults, ETS has been identified as a cause of lung and nasal sinus cancer, eye and nasal irritation and now asthma. 

The report is available online.