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American Morning

Paging Dr. Gupta: Secondhand Smoke

Aired December 11, 2003 - 08:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A new study seems to confirm what we've already been told about secondhand smoke. It is hazardous to your health, and sometimes it kills.
Sanjay Gupta, the good doctor back with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Nice to see you. Really good study here in terms of reminding people about the dangers involved.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, and then 40 years ago, people still didn't believe that secondhand smoke was a problem, but that's not surprising to some people. But even recently there's been studies that have come out that have sort of questioned just how bad is secondhand smoke? Some of the stuff's come out in pretty respected medical journals.

Now a large study, Bill, as you mention, a good study, sort of putting some of this to rest, really looking not only at the fact that secondhand smoke is bad for you, but breaking it down a bit in terms of numbers, as well. Workplace exposure, for example, 20 plus years of exposure in the workplace, a 25 percent increased risk for lung cancer. Now compare that now if your spouse smokes for 30 plus years, long marriage, 23 percent increase there.

And then social settings, as well, people who go to social settings, smoky bars and stuff like that, lots of smoke, 20 plus years. That's going to be the highest risk, 26 percent increase. Now there are people who obviously are exposed to smoke in all those settings, at the work, at home and in social settings, as well. If that happens, your increased risk goes up by 32 percent. About a third in all those situations.

HEMMER: I mentioned it kills, and that's a true consequence here.

GUPTA: It is a true consequence. So why is it bad? I think that's an obvious question. It makes you cough. It may increase your risk for asthma. It may increase your risk for bronchitis. But also more seriously now, lung cancer. This is a real risk. How much so, in fact, that was the question again answered by this particular study. About 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers. These are people who never smoked.

The study was done, by the way, on 12,000 people who had cancer but had never smoked; 35,000 people also developing heart disease, again, and the doctors are attributing that to the fact that they are exposed to secondhand smoke.

HEMMER: Who, then -- is there an age group that might be especially vulnerable to this?

GUPTA: I think this is the most disturbing of all. And it's really children. And children perhaps in part because their lungs are still developing, perhaps in part because they're more susceptible to colds and things like that, and then you get that second hit from secondhand smoke, that can be a real problem. More likely to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis and other lung type diseases. About 150,000 to 300,000 lung infections every year due to secondhand smoke.

Asthma long-term, a kid who is exposed to secondhand smoke as a child more likely to develop asthma long-term. A lot of parents pay attention to that. More likely to have ear infections, as well. About 43 percent of our children right now living in the United States are exposed to secondhand smoke on a daily basis.

HEMMER: Why ear infections?

GUPTA: All kinds of infections. Ears, nose and throat infections seem to go up. Ear infections are particularly predominant in young children, so you see that with secondhand smoke.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired December 11, 2003 - 08:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A new study seems to confirm what we've already been told about secondhand smoke. It is hazardous to your health, and sometimes it kills.
Sanjay Gupta, the good doctor back with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Nice to see you. Really good study here in terms of reminding people about the dangers involved.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, and then 40 years ago, people still didn't believe that secondhand smoke was a problem, but that's not surprising to some people. But even recently there's been studies that have come out that have sort of questioned just how bad is secondhand smoke? Some of the stuff's come out in pretty respected medical journals.

Now a large study, Bill, as you mention, a good study, sort of putting some of this to rest, really looking not only at the fact that secondhand smoke is bad for you, but breaking it down a bit in terms of numbers, as well. Workplace exposure, for example, 20 plus years of exposure in the workplace, a 25 percent increased risk for lung cancer. Now compare that now if your spouse smokes for 30 plus years, long marriage, 23 percent increase there.

And then social settings, as well, people who go to social settings, smoky bars and stuff like that, lots of smoke, 20 plus years. That's going to be the highest risk, 26 percent increase. Now there are people who obviously are exposed to smoke in all those settings, at the work, at home and in social settings, as well. If that happens, your increased risk goes up by 32 percent. About a third in all those situations.

HEMMER: I mentioned it kills, and that's a true consequence here.

GUPTA: It is a true consequence. So why is it bad? I think that's an obvious question. It makes you cough. It may increase your risk for asthma. It may increase your risk for bronchitis. But also more seriously now, lung cancer. This is a real risk. How much so, in fact, that was the question again answered by this particular study. About 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers. These are people who never smoked.

The study was done, by the way, on 12,000 people who had cancer but had never smoked; 35,000 people also developing heart disease, again, and the doctors are attributing that to the fact that they are exposed to secondhand smoke.

HEMMER: Who, then -- is there an age group that might be especially vulnerable to this?

GUPTA: I think this is the most disturbing of all. And it's really children. And children perhaps in part because their lungs are still developing, perhaps in part because they're more susceptible to colds and things like that, and then you get that second hit from secondhand smoke, that can be a real problem. More likely to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis and other lung type diseases. About 150,000 to 300,000 lung infections every year due to secondhand smoke.

Asthma long-term, a kid who is exposed to secondhand smoke as a child more likely to develop asthma long-term. A lot of parents pay attention to that. More likely to have ear infections, as well. About 43 percent of our children right now living in the United States are exposed to secondhand smoke on a daily basis.

HEMMER: Why ear infections?

GUPTA: All kinds of infections. Ears, nose and throat infections seem to go up. Ear infections are particularly predominant in young children, so you see that with secondhand smoke.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com