Tobacco Documents Online

-'-. (Adverdse.n,&ht) Amessagefromthosewho do.... tothosewho dOn't Some non-smokers are annoyed by cigarette smoke. "Ihis is a reality that~ been with us for a long time. Lately, however, many non- smokers have been led to belicve that cigarette smoke in the air can actually cause disease. And yet there is little evidence and nothing which proves scientifically that cigarette smoke causes disease in, nonsmokers. The London Times reported f ndings from the Cnstitute of Cancer Research in Surrey, England, published in this montbk edition of the `British Journal of Canccr; that `passive . smoking' for life-long non-smokers carries no significant inenease in the risk of lung cancer, bronchitis or heart disease (all allegedly associated with smoking). The InstitWte~ conclusions are based on a wealth of statistical detail from a study involving 12,000 people. In a study by a Vice-President of the American Cancer Society in 1981 which involved 175,000 people, it was reported that `passive smoking' had "very little, if any" effect on lung cancer rates among non-smokers. In the follow-up study - publ ished in 1985, no statisticaNy . significant increase in risk was reported: Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that a non-smoker would have to spend 100 hours straight-in the smolciestbar to "absorb" the equivalent of a single filter tip cigarette. M,a,jor reviews on `passive smoking' over the last few years have concluded that *wive snwtCing' cannot be shown to be a health risk. The weight of evidence is summed up in the remarks at the conclusion of the 1984 Vienna Health Conference which was held in , co-operation with the World Health Organisation: "should law makers wish to take legislative nuvsvres with regard to passive srnoking, they will, for the present, not be able to base their efforts on a demonstrated health hazard from passive smo[cing" Often-our own concerns about health can take an unproven claim and magnify it out of all proportion; so what begins as a misconception turns into a frightening myth. Alrigbt, cigarette smoke may be annoying to some non snlokers, but how shall we deal with these problems? Confrontation? Segregation? Legislation? No. ~*, We think annoyance is neither a governmental nor a medical problern.. M a people problem. Smokers c;an help by being more considerate and responsible. IVon-smokers can help by being more tolerant. And both groups can help by showing more respect for each others rights and feelings. Don't let intolerant munority pressure gr+oups use you to create divisions between Australians. ~6~~32L20z Authorised by John Doliisson, Tcabacco Institute, Gold Fields House. Sydnev.