Smoke Following is the executive summary.
It has long been understood that active smoking increases an individual s risk for a variety of diseases including cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart disease. More recent studies now show that the effects of smoking are not limited to individuals who smoke, but also extend to those who breathe the smoke released into the air from burning cigars and cigarettes. Very often, people are exposed to ETS involuntarily. Disagreement, where it exists, centers on how bad the adverse effects may be, not on whether or not they exist. There is consistent credible evidence that ETS exposure is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects including asthma, emphysema, middle ear infections, heart disease, and lung cancer.