The exposure of nonsmokers to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), also termed "passive smoking," is a recognized cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in people. ETS is known to contain more than 3,000 chemicals, including many toxic and carcinogenic compounds. Nicotine is a major component of ETS; the exposure of nonsmokers to this component can be assessed by measuring the concentration of cotinine— the major proximate metabolite of nicotine—in the blood. In 1996, we reported the results from the application of a new, CDC-developed, highly sensitive method for analyzing serum cotinine levels from specimens obtained from approximately 12,000 participants aged 4 years and older in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, Phase 1 [1988-1991]). Analyses indicated that approximately 88% of the U.S. population, including a high proportion of nonsmokers, had detectable levels of cotinine in their blood.
We have now completed analysis of serum cotinine levels in an additional 15,000 participants in Phase 2 of NHANES III (1991-1994) and in the most recent NHANES 1999. We describe the extent of and changes in exposure to ETS from 1988-1991 to the present in the U.S. population and among selected demographic groups within the population. These results document a continuing decline in exposure of the U.S. population to ETS over the past decade which indicates that substantial progress has been made by the public health community in reducing exposure to ETS.
See www.cdc.gov/nceh/dls and http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htmLearning Objectives: 1. List five chronic health problems that have been linked to ETS exposure among nonsmokers 2. Describe the pattern of ETS exposure and temporal changes in that exposure in the U.S. population over the past 10 years. 3. Identify groups within the population that remain at greatest risk from exposure to ETS.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.