More evidence on passive smoking harm emerges
Further evidence that passive smoking can be damaging to health has emerged from three studies reported recently.
The first shows that in two population cohorts of New Zealand adults,
mortality is about 15 per cent higher among those who have never smoked,
but who live with smokers, than those living in a smoke-free household
(published online in BMJ Online First, 5 April 2004).
A second study suggests that the incidence of hospital admissions for
myocardial infarction may fall when public smoking bans are imposed.
US researchers examined hospital admission data for a hospital serving
an isolated community in Montana where a local law banning smoking in
public and in workplaces was enforced for a six-month period in 2002.
The researchers observed a drop in admissions during implementation of
the ban — before and after the ban the average number of admissions
was 40 during equivalent six-month periods. When the six-month ban was
in place, this fell to 24 admissions (BMJ Online First, 5 April 2004).
The final study indicates that passive smoking may hinder wound healing.
Researchers added cell-culture media containing the components of second-hand
smoke to fibroblast cells in vitro. They found that the cells became
elongated and separated from one another. They were also less mobile
than control cells.
“If these cells are unable to migrate they will remain concentrated
at the edge of the wound ... leading to poor wound closure and abnormal
scar formation,” the researchers conclude (BMC Cell Biology 2004;5:13). |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader