[C-U Smokefree] Dr. Jeff Swearingen radio call-in show.

[Scott P Hays]

Tomorrow, Dr. Jeff Swearingen of Carle will be hosting “Ask the Family Doc”

This will be on 580 WILL AM

April 12th, 2004, 11-12 Noon.   

This show is a health-related call-in and Dr. Swearingen has agreed to highlight issues related to second-hand smoke during this edition of his program.  Our goal related to this program is to heighten the community’s awareness that second hand smoke is a genuine public health problem.  

Facts for Dr. Swearingen to refer to:

According to the Behavioral and Risk Factor Survey from the CDC, only 16% of Champaign County Residents report regular smoking.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 62,000 Americans die prematurely every year from heart disease brought on by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.  

Another 3,000 non-smokers die from lung cancer resulting from exposure to second-hand smoke.  

Second hand smoke causes irritation of the eye, nose, and throat, and can irritate the lungs, leading to coughing, excess phlegm, chest discomfort and reduced lung function.  

In their first two years of life, babies of parents who smoke at home have a much higher rate of lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia than babies with non-smoking parents.  

Second-hand smoke exposure is associated with 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations fro bronchitis or pneumonia in infants and toddlers each year, and 136 to 212 deaths in children 18 months or younger. 

Second-hand smoke causes buildup of fluid in the middle ear, resulting in 700,000 to 1.6 million physician office visits.

There is a long-established connection between maternal smoking during pregnancy and SIDS.  

In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency classified environmental tobacco smoke as a “Class A Carcinogen”, the same carcinogenic level as asbestos.

People who are exposed to secondhand smoke have a 25-30% higher coronary death rates

Non-smoking workers in a smoking facility have a 16-19% increased risk of developing lung cancer. 

Smoke filled areas can have up to 6 times the pollution as a busy highway in America

It is estimated that for eight smokers who die from smoking, one smoker dies from disease caused by exposure to second-hand smoke.

Environmental tobacco smoke contains over 63 chemical substances linked to cancer.

A smoker inhales only 15% of tobacco smoke, leaving 85% for the rest of us to breathe.

Sitting in a smoky bar for 2 hours is the equivalent of smoking 4 cigarettes.

Sitting in the non-smoking section of a bar that allows smoking for 2 hours is the equivalent of smoking 1.5 cigarettes.

Environmental tobacco smoke releases poisons such as formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide into the air.

While electronic air purifiers can remove the smell of smoke and visible smoke, they cannot remove these carcinogenic chemicals from tobacco smoke.  

In 1987, second-hand smoke accounted for an estimated $661 million in annual medical expenses nationally.

A typical non-smoking employee in a smoky bar or restaurant can consume as many as 16 cigarettes in a single 8 hour shift.

The EPA says that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.


Questions to ask Dr. Swearingen:

About how many patients do you see that have diseases that are caused by smoking?

About how many emergency room admissions are from smoking related causes?

(we’ve heard that its around 70%)

How much smoke are workers in smoking restaurants and bars exposed to?

What is the impact of breathing second hand smoke on children and seniors citizens, especially those with heart disease, emphysema and other respiratory ailments?

What is the impact of second hand smoke on people with asthma?

What do you think are the dollar costs associated with treating children and adults who suffer from illnesses and who were exposed to secondhand smoke?