As City Council considers a plan to limit smoking in restaurants and other public spots, research continues.
Experts cite years of studies.
But that's not the only place it ends up. Research shows it also gets in your lungs and bloodstream - even if you don't smoke yourself. Secondhand tobacco smoke so permeates society that one federal study found traces of nicotine in the blood of nine out of 10 nonsmokers among 10,000 people tested. As Philadelphia City Council prepares to take testimony today on a proposed ordinance to limit smoking in restaurants and other public places, the search to precisely define the risk posed by this ubiquitous vapor goes on. But the weight of the evidence over the last 14 years points to the growing likelihood that environmental tobacco smoke contributes to cancer, heart disease and respiratory ailments.