BMJ  2003;327:502 (30 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7413.502-a

Letter

Passive smoking

Secondhand smoke does cause respiratory disease

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Editor—The report by Enstrom and Kabat confirms that exposure to secondhand smoke causes injury to the respiratory system with the finding of a combined increased mortality risk for men and women for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (relative risk 1.65, 95% confidence interval 1.0 to 2.73).¹ This is consistent with other investigations that show the sensitivity of the respiratory system to secondhand smoke at all ages and in different settings. In Hong Kong several studies have shown that the exposure of infants to secondhand smoke in utero or postnatally in the home was linked to higher consultation rates and hospitalisation for respiratory and other illnesses.² Smoking in the home was clearly associated with bronchitic symptoms in a cohort of primary school children, independently of ambient air pollution.³ In an adult work-force, workplace exposures to passive smoking were associated with significant excess risks (66% to 212%) for all respiratory symptoms and increased . . . [Full text of this article]

Department of Community Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China commed@hkucc.hku.hk

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