Do you smoke? Is second hand smoke bad for you?

Sometimes the discussion around smoking is sidetracked into a health issue.  Now the overwhelming research indicates that smoking can lead to cancer and that second hand smoke can cause many health issues.

However, studies indicate that second hand smoke does not lead to lung cancer:

Paolo Boffetta et al.  Multicenter case-control study of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and lung cancer in Europe.   Journal of the National Cancer Institute Volume 90, Number 19 (October 7, 1998)

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/90/19/1440.full.pdf

Judy Peres - No clear link between passive smoking and lung cancer
Journal of the National Cancer Institute 105(24): 1844-1846 (Published online 6 DEC 2013)

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/12/05/jnci.djt365.extract

http://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.ca/2013/12/new-study-finds-no-link-between.html

These studies indicate that second hand smoke is not associated with lung cancer but there are many other health issues that are associated with second hand smoke which should not be disregarded including, but not limited to: coronary heart disease, asthma, emphysema, respiratory infections, and childhood ear infections.


There are also issues surrounding tobacco and cigarettes.  These include deforestation, climate change, residential fires, soil depletion, cigarette butt litter, and cigarette butt poisoning of animals and children.

Non-Smoker's Rights Association (JUNE 2010) The tobacco industry's negative impact on the environment

http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/cms/file/files/pdf/factsheet.pdf

Action on Smoking and Health (August 2009) Tobacco and the environment

http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_127.pdf