A new study provides additional
evidence to the long-held belief that secondhand smoke poses a
health risk.
(PhotoDisc) |
Casino Cough
Secondhand Smoke Is Real Cancer Risk,
Casino Study
Shows
By Marc
Lallanilla
Dec. 22
— A few hours in a
casino may cost you more than your paycheck. According to a
new study, the amount of secondhand cigarette smoke in a
casino or any other smoke-filled room may present a
substantial cancer risk to nonsmokers.
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Researchers at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,
found elevated levels of a cancer-causing agent, NNAL, in the
urine of nonsmokers after they spent just four hours in a
commercial casino. Researchers also found elevated levels of
cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, in the samples. Both NNAL
and cotinine are specific to tobacco and were not found in the
nonsmokers' urine before their casino visit. "This evidence
could be dynamite," says Robert West, an epidemiologist at
University College London. "It is one thing to know that one
is breathing in carcinogens; psychologically it is another to
know that one's own body has been contaminated by them."
The study, published today in Cancer Epidemiology
Biomarkers and Prevention, provides additional evidence to
the long-held belief that secondhand smoke poses a health
risk. The research is also expected to add fuel to the drive
for anti-smoking regulations in public spaces.
Research Offers Real-World Evidence of Exposure
In the study, Kristin Anderson, epidemiologist at the
University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, analyzed
urine samples of 18 volunteers before their visit to a casino
in the upper Midwest. The volunteers, four men and 14 women,
spent an average of 4.25 hours in the designated smoking area
of the casino. Samples were also collected within 24 hours
following the visit.
The samples taken after the casino visit showed a 112
percent average increase in NNAL. The average increase in the
amount of cotinine following the casino visit was 456 percent.
Public health professionals note the study adds a
real-world element to the evidence linking secondhand smoke to
cancer. "The unique aspect of this research is that it
simulates real-life exposure," says Andrew Hyland,
epidemiologist with the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in
Buffalo, N.Y.
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