The Mayo Clinic on secondhand smoke: dangers in the air!

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned a nicotine addict who forced me to inhale her second-hand smoke in order to get to the entrance of my favorite café. Seated on an outdoor bench, the addict was spewing smoke directly into my path. In an example of synchronicity that would’ve made C. G. Jung smile, today’s Mayo Clinic e-newsletter, Housecall, included an article on the hazards of second-hand smoke. We would all do well to check this out, especially those of us who live in rental facilities that have not as yet banned smoking. It  might also be a good idea for the Walgreens board to peruse the article. As we all know, Walgreens is a wealthy and powerful ally of smokers. Here’s the article:

Secondhand smoke: Avoid dangers in the air

Exposure to the toxins in secondhand smoke can cause asthma, cancer and other serious problems. Know what you're breathing — and consider practical steps for clearing the air.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

You don't smoke because you understand the dangers — but what about smoke you inhale involuntarily? Secondhand smoke causes or contributes to various health problems, including heart disease and lung cancer. Understand what's in secondhand smoke, and consider ways to protect yourself and those you love from it.

What's in secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke — also known as environmental tobacco smoke — includes the smoke that a smoker exhales (mainstream smoke) and the smoke that comes directly from the burning tobacco product (sidestream smoke). Secondhand smoke contains toxic chemicals, including:

• Ammonia, used in cleaning products
• Butane, used in lighter fluid
• Carbon monoxide, found in car exhaust
• Chromium, used to make steel
• Cyanide, used in chemical weapons
• Formaldehyde, an industrial chemical
• Lead, a toxic metal
• Polonium, a radioactive substance

The dangerous particles in secondhand smoke can linger in the air for hours or even longer. It isn't just the smoke that's a concern, though. The residue that clings to a smoker's hair and clothing, as well as cushions, carpeting and other goods — sometimes referred to as thirdhand smoke — also can pose risks, especially for children.

How risky is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke causes or contributes to serious health problems, including:

• Cancer. Secondhand smoke is a known risk factor for lung cancer. In addition, secondhand smoke contains benzene — which increases the risk of leukemia.
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• Heart disease. Secondhand smoke damages blood vessels and interferes with circulation, which increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Recent research suggests that secondhand smoke also increases the risk of sudden cardiac death.
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• Lung disease. Exposure to secondhand smoke can aggravate respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Secondhand smoke poses additional risks for children, who are especially vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke. Problems include:

• Low birth weight. Exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight.
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• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS.
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• Asthma and respiratory illness. Secondhand smoke increases the risk — and severity — of childhood asthma. Secondhand smoke also causes chronic coughing, phlegm and wheezing.
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• Infections. Children who live with people who smoke are more likely to develop bronchitis and pneumonia.

While further study is needed, limited research suggests that electronic cigarettes also expose bystanders to significant concentrations of aerosolized nicotine.

How can secondhand smoke be avoided?

With planning, you can reduce or eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke. Start with these simple steps:

• Don't allow smoking in your home. If family members or guests want to smoke, ask them to step outside. Air conditioners and ventilation systems don't effectively remove secondhand smoke from the air.
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• Don't allow smoking in your vehicle. If a passenger must smoke while you're traveling, stop as needed for smoke breaks outside the car.
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• Insist that smoking restrictions be enforced at work. Many states have laws against smoking in the workplace.
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• Choose smoke-free care facilities. This applies to child care facilities as well as facilities for older adults.
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• Patronize businesses with no-smoking policies. Choose smoke-free restaurants. When you travel, request nonsmoking hotel rooms.

If you have a partner or other loved one who smokes, offer support and encouragement to stop smoking. The entire family will reap the benefits.

Drugstores or convenience stores filling prescriptions as a sideline

Where else would the pharmacy be?

The sky was overcast, but a rather pleasant day last week when I pulled into the parking lot at my favorite cafe and headed for the entrance. Seconds later, I noticed the well-dressed older woman seated on a bench where she contentedly puffed smoke directly into my path. Except for the smoking, she appeared calm and sophisticated. The elegant way she held her cigarette reminded me of ads in the old days promoting Kools, Newports, Pall Malls, or whatever. She seemed oblivious to society’s increasing disapproval of nicotine addicts. I caught a whiff of her second-hand smoke as I walked past her and hastened inside.

The above smoker reminded me of my recent experience when looking for over-the-counter cold medication. I don’t often go to “drugstores” as I’m a military veteran and get my prescriptions from the local VA pharmacy, which is several miles from my home. I felt weak that day, and my nose was dripping from a cold, so I decided to go to the nearby Walgreens. Covering my nose with a tissue, I stepped inside and looked around. Just as I remembered, tobacco products were directly behind the counter near the entrance, and candy was in the first aisle. The pharmacy and over-the-counter meds were located at the back of the store in the furthest aisle.

My consciousness raised since I started using a cane, I asked a couple of employees why their store's layout made it difficult for customers suffering from various illnesses and the disabled. They had no explanation, and I left without buying anything.

Next time I needed something from a drugstore, I tried CVS and true to its word, CVS does not sell tobacco products. But like Walgreens, the pharmacy and over-the-counter medications are located as far away from the entrance as possible. On that occasion, it occurred to me that “drugstores” are little more than convenience stores - out to make a buck - with the added lure of a pharmacy tucked away in the back of the store. One can only conjecture that the location of the pharmacy in these so-called drugstores is a marketing ploy designed to entice sick or handicapped people to buy things on their way there.

The older woman, smoking contentedly in front of the cafe that day, can likely rest assured that Walgreens will continue to supply her with cigarettes. In the future, if she needs medication to treat her lung or throat cancer, maybe her favorite drugstore will provide wheelchairs to enable its ailing customers to get to the pharmacy located in the rear.

Wonder if Walgreens has ever glimpsed the irony over the years in calling itself a drugstore while selling tobacco products up front and filling prescriptions in the back?