THINK BEFORE YOU LIGHT OP. It's Not Just Your Business Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health. You know that already. It's printed on every pack of cigarettes . . . the message from the U.S. Surgeon General. Maybe you knew that when you started smoking. But you decided to smoke anyway ... to take your chances. You saw it as your health at risk . . . nobody else's. It was your business. Not any more. New Evidence That Second Hand Smoke Endangers Health Growing scientific evidence makes it clear your cigarette smoke isn't just your business. Two recent medical studies demon- strate that long-term exposure to ciga- rette smoke can cause the lungs of healthy nonsmokers . . . adults and chil- dren ... to function abnormally. • Nonsmokers exposed for years to smoke at work were found to develop significant reduction in air flow through their lungs. They suffered the same lung impairment as smokers who inhale 1 - 10 cigarettes a day. • Young children whose parents smoked at home were found to suffer reduced lung function, compared to children of nonsmoking parents. It has yet to be determined whether these abnormalities could lead to such chronic lung diseases as emphysema. But evidence that the lungs of healthy nonsmoking adults and children don't function normally when exposed to ciga- rette smoke is worth thinking about. Chronically 111, Young Children Especially Endangered Your cigarette smoke is somebody else's business. Your family, for example, and the people you work with . . . everyone who shares your air. "Second hand smoke" is not just an annoyance. It doesn't just hurt "feelings." ^ Most threatened are those with chronic heart or lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphy- sema. Smoke-filled air can aggravate their illness. Carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke reduces the amount of physical activity heart patients can do without feeling chest pain. Children are especially affected by 4 second hand" smoke. Smoke in the home can worsen symptoms in asth- matic children, and even trigger asthma attacks. In several studies, even healthy chil- dren in homes where parents smoked were found to develop respiratory illness twice as often as those in nonsmoking homes. Studies have also shown that infants in the first year of life are particularly vul- nerable to bronchitis and pneumonia if their parents smoke. Your Smoke Is Their Smoke For all who share your breathing space, your smoke truly is their smoke. Consider what you're doing to those around you when you smoke. The concentrations of some dan- gerous chemicals in the smoke from the burning end of cigarettes are greater than you, as a smoker, inhale. More tar and nicotine. More carbon monoxide. More cadmium . . . which stays in the lungs and is suspected as a contributing cause of emphysema. "Freedom Of Choice" . . . For Everyone When you begin to light up, think of those around you . . . the infant, the asth- matic child, the elderly. Think of what your smoke may be doing to them. If you do, you may decide not to light up around them. Tobacco Institute advertising tells us that "freedom of choice is the best choice." Not when the choice endangers others . . . including those you love. If You're A Smoker • Please ask others in the room if they mind if you smoke. Again, it s not just a matter of courtesy; it s a matter of possi- bly hurting someone's health. • Please don't smoke in small, enclosed areas ... or in the presence of young children, or persons with chronic lung or heart disease. • Consider the scientific evidence about the effect of smoking. We hope you'll decide to quit ... for your sake and the health of those around you. If You're A Non-Smoker • Don't be afraid to politely ask others not to smoke. You're only protecting the air you breathe. • If you'r e elderly or have a heart or lung ailment, it's especially important that you speak up. • Speak out for your family members and friends who might be particularly bothered by cigarette smoke. • When you travel or dine out, ask for the non-smoking sections . . . and use them. • At home, work, meetings of your clubs and organizations, urge adoption of a voluntary no-smoking rule. Know Your State's Laws Many states have laws restricting smoking in public places. Know the laws that apply in your state. Speak out for enactment of legislation you feel is nec- essary to the health of nonsmokers. Massachusetts Department of Public Health Division of Preventive Medicine Smokers Quitline 1-800-952-7444 Michael S. Dukakis, Governor Manuel Carhallo, Secretary of Human Services Bailus Walker, Jr., Commissioner of Public Health Developed in cooperation with the Health Departments ot Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Photo by Myron