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Think you're safe from lung cancer because you don't smoke? Here's a fun fact: Secondhand smoke is estimated to account for at least 35,000 deaths from heart disease and 3,000 deaths from lung cancer in nonsmokers nationwide each year. And a recently-published study suggests that New Yorkers are even more at risk because our dense urban environment results in a greater exposure to secondhand smoke.
The study, conducted in 2004—one year after the city's smoke-free air law took effect—used blood tests to determine that 57% of adult non-smoking New Yorkers (2.5 million) have elevated cotinine levels, compared to 45% of non-smoking adults nationwide. Agh, what's cotinine!? Well, the DOH says it's a "harmless" by-product of nicotine breakdown, which, in a perfect world, wouldn't be in your system if you don't smoke cigarettes. At the time of the study, NYC had fewer smokers per capita than most other American cities; only 23.3 percent of adults were smokers, compared with a national average of 29.7 percent.
Health commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden tells the Times, "This is not what we expected. It is a shocking number." Harvard tobacco expert Dr. Jonathan Winickoff thinks it has to do with apartment dwellers who are exposed to smoke drifting from one unit to another within a building: "Smoke doesn’t know to stop at a doorway. It fills the full capacity of every indoor location in which the cigarette is smoked." Asian adults in NYC were the most likely to have elevated cotinine levels (69%); studies show that Asian Americans, particularly Chinese Americans, are more likely to smoke at home. And lower-income New Yorkers were also more likely to be exposed than those with higher incomes (63% versus 54%).
The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has a lot more on alarming info on secondhand smoke, and some useful tips [PDF] on how to politely but firmly turn your home into a smoke-free zone. These include posting a "Smoke-Free Home" sign on your door and letting people know you’re "rejecting the smoke, not the smoker."
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The worst second-hand smoke exposure has to be from those assholes who keep puffing in the dense walkway alongside Ground Zero on the way to the Path and WFC. Yes, we know we're "outdoors", but do you mind not blowing your crumby smoke behind you into my face, you spineless, inconsiderate morons?
Holden? Caulfield? From Pencey Prep right?
I also have to do that walk from the subway to the PATH each morning and I would say that is where I get my daily dose of second hand smoke. I usually hack a cough right behind them allowing just enough space/time to pass by. If that fails, I'll throw an elbow.
i like to fake asthma attacks :)
Sometimes I'd like to fart in their face and ask them if they enjoyed it as much as I enjoy their smoke in my face.
Well now we know how to beat the Chinese.
cotinine? that's why i stick to the chronic!
I'm allergic to nicotine. I have bad reactions to secondhand smoke. I'm aware that cigarettes are addictive but I have a hard time feeling bad for people who cause me physical damage with their addiction. They can be so absurdly inconsiderate. I hate how people hang outside the front door of their buildings smoking and making a gauntlet of smokers for me to run through every day.
The number one most awful, however, was the time I walked around a smoker to escape his smoke, and as he swung his arms around for emphasis while talking on his cell, the burning end of his cigarette hit my bare arm and made a nice little round burn.
So true. Most smokers are in deep denial about their rude behavior and refuse to believe how much their smoking negatively affects those around them.
There used to be separate rooms for smokers. They were once called, Smoking Rooms. Shocking to some you, I'm sure. Now that the smartest people in NYC have mandated you cannot smoke indoors, you have to smoke outdoors and expose more people to second hand smoke.
Does it really surprise people that New Yorkers don't care about you and your second smoke allergies? And seriously, I would guess that living next to the traffic clogged freeways like the BQE will kill you much faster than a couple of breaths of second hand smoke per day.
I've worked at two places that had smoking rooms.
A giant insurance company and a city agency. the city agency was an anomaly, the facilities director was a smoker and insisted on putting a smoking room for smokers during the planning stage.
the insurance co. was not really a separate room but a giant high flow air exchanger above one table in the break area. I saw a pipe smoker there a lot.
Yeah but didn't you read this part: "Smoke doesn’t know to stop at a doorway. It fills the full capacity of every indoor location in which the cigarette is smoked."
"Smoking Rooms" won't help with that.
I know 3 people that died from lung cancer. One of them never smoked in her life.
It's a real problem.
If you've never seen anyone die of lung cancer, all I can say is that it's a very painful and suffering way to die.
Cotinine is a chemical compound also found in Diesel Fuel Exhaust.
You show me the damaging results from my single cig in the wind.
And I'll point out the 1000s of vehicles driving everywhere which we inhale the chemicals from.
Get rid of the trucks and cars, then we can talk.
Gee, thanks for doing your part.
This article doesn't surprise me at all. You can get secondhand smoke exposure just by walking down the sidewalk.
It is really rude. I've been in building lobbies where people started lighting up indoors because it was too cold outside and the whole room started filling up with smoke.
Or people that smoke IN the door, with the door open. Obviously with the temperature differential, the cold smoky air rushes INTO the building, making the whole exercise of standing in the door completely pointless.
Wow, so you're telling me that the more densely populated an area is, the more likely other peoples' bad habits are to affect those around them? No shit!!!! This is some seriously hard hitting research, the kind that I could've told you about without some jackass needing thousands of dollars to fund a study. Yes, hard numbers of the levels of a certain chemical that we've never heard of help, but this is stating the obvious.
Maybe Bloomberg should make a move to eliminate smoking on sidewalks. I bet that would make a major lifestyle improvement for everyone.
Smokers on sidewalks come across as really pissed off and entitled since they were booted from buildings and I have seen them blow smoke at anyone from an infant in a strooler, pregnant women, the young and healthy, to eldery.
Yes, that's right. There used to be rooms for people to smoke. They were called BARS. Then, you fragile asshats got rid of that, so we all have to smoke on the sidewalk. So, frankly, screw you.
And another thing, anyone who thinks that walking past someone smoking a cigarette is going to give them lung cancer while living in the middle of the worlds largest traffic jam is A-OK is not only a douche but stupid as well.
THANK YOU Mookie, it had to be said.
Some commenters here are confusing being annoyed by smoke with actually being damaged by smoke.
Nobody, and I mean nobody can get lung cancer passing by a few smokers for three seconds. Even if its every work day.
Non smoking fundamentalists already won. You already got smokers banished to be outside, this is a pretty good "compromise," especially since non smokers always steal the smokers' spots indoors. If non smokers want to avoid smokers, please stay inside where they're serving drinks and food and providing music, and let the smokers smoke away in peace outside in the noise, cold, snow and rain.
Hows about the people who walk down a wide uncrowded sidewalk yet feel the need to walk within 2 inches of someone smoking and then go and bitch about it, what about those idiots
@ Reality Check and Mookie: You do NOT know this, and by stating it only proves your ignorance. When you get lung cancer, you'll be changing your tune.
"Nobody, and I mean nobody can get lung cancer passing by a few smokers for three seconds. Even if its every work day."