Passive smoking

The Tabagisme Passif results from the involuntary inhalation of the Fumée released by combustion from cigarettes or cigars ( running secondary ) (in the ashtray for example), or rejected by one or more smokers ( running tertiary ). The ambient tobacco smoke (FTA) breathed by a person exposed to passive smoking is a mixture of smoke of the secondary current (approximately 80%) and of smoke of the tertiary current.

The smoke of the Tabac contains 4.000 different chemical substances, of which 60 substances Cancérigène S. It is dangerous for the smoker and his entourage.

The smoke of the tobacco breathed directly by the smoker (running primary), if it contains approximately the same nicotine concentration, has a very different composition:

of that which escapes laterally from the Cigarette (running secondary) because very incomplete combustion, at lower temperature, contains 3 times more CO (reducing oxygen available), 7 times more benzene, 70 times more nitrosamines and 100 times more ammonia (irritating) that primary smoke
or of that rejected by the smoker (running tertiary).

Passive smoking tends to increase the existing Pathologie S, and to create cancers.

Consequences

According to Claude Evin, passive smoking kills per annum 3.000 people in France.

Increased risk of myocardial infarction

The first scientific articles making suspecter a noxious role of passive smoking date from the middle of the years 1980. The bond between passive smoking and infarction was proven in a very clear way in particular “ in the canton of Helena, in the United States, 66 000 inhabitants, where it had been everywhere interdict to smoke: 40% of Myocardial infarction in less. Six months later, the decision having been broken, the rate returned on the same level as elsewhere. The proof is made that passive smoking keep silent, and immediately ”. The professor Yves Trip hammer, president of the National committee against the nicotinism (CNCT), indicated that the experiment of Helena was confirmed by a second study carried out with Pueblo, in Colorado: “ in Pueblo, the fall of the infarctions was of 30% ”

The risk of occurred of a Myocardial infarction is increased of 50% in nonsmokers exposed to the smoke of the Tabac, that is to say the same level of risk as among smokers from 1 to 9 cigarettes per day.

According to the French federation of Cardiology (October 2006), passive smoking is the cause of 5 000 death per annum in France, of which 3 000 are of cardiovascular origin .

The fetus and the child

Sudden death of the infant

The risk of sudden death is multiplied by two when the mother smokes (without one being able to make the difference between the role of the nicotinism anténatal and the postnatal nicotinism). Who more is, the relation amount-effect is shown: the risk increases according to the number of smokers in the house, according to the full number of fume cigarettes each day, like according to the exposure time to the nicotinism of the infant.

Bronchitides of the child

If the mother smokes, the risk of Bronchite S of the child increases by 72% compared to that of a child whose family does not smoke. The increase in the risk is of 29% if another family member smokes.

Asthma of the child

In the asthmatic child, passive smoking increases the intensity and the frequency of the crises, in particular in the young child. There exists a relation amount-effect. Indeed, the studies show that the risk of asthma attack increases:

14% when the father smokes,
28% when the mother smokes,
52% when the two parents smoke.

It is difficult to separate the role from the nicotinism of the mother during the pregnancy and the role of passive smoking in early childhood. The role of the nicotinism during the pregnancy however seems to be most important.

Otitises of the child

When the child is subjected to the passive smoking of the parents in residence, the risk of Otite S repeating is increased by 48% and 38% for the épanchements of the ear. There still, there exists a relation amount-effect.

Children of expectant mothers nonsmokers exposed to the smoke of the others

When the pregnant woman is exposed to the smoke of the others, the child risks an intra-uterine delay of growth and small weight to the birth. This risk is all the more high if the mother smokes.

Campaigns against passive smoking

In Occident, where the legislation against the use of the tobacco in the public places is done increasingly severe since the end of the Années 1990, one has assisted for a few years with a debate on the secondary Fumée, i.e. the impact of the nicotinism on the nonsmokers who côtoient smokers. With the Canada, a campaign took place in 2004 in which Heather Crowe took part. This former waitress of Ottawa, in Ontario, received her doctors a diagnosis of Lung cancer, although she never smoked of her life. She set up her foundation, and the Canadian government used it in a publicity campaign anti-tobacco, asserting that Mrs Crowe had worked during 40 years in restaurants smokers. Heather Crowe also furrowed Canada to inform people on the dangers of secondary smoke. This countryside received many echoes in the Canadian media, so much so that the sexagenerian was high in symbol of the fight anti-tobacco. But also caused opposition, some rising against what they claim to be the exploitation of a sick person, and supporting that nothing proved that its disease is the result of its exposure to secondary smoke. Heather Crowe is extinct continuations of lung cancer the May 22nd 2006, at the 61 years age.

Heather Crowe : died of a Site symbol of Radio-Canada
The Heather Crowe Slips by Critical from the Canadian countryside against passive smoking
Vidéo of a campaign against passive smoking

French legislation

It is estimated that 6.000 people die each year in France of passive smoking and 60.000 of the simple nicotinism.

The law Evin of the January 10th 1991 protected, in theory, the nonsmokers by organizing the behaviors in company of the smokers. In practice, the decree n° 92-478 of the May 29th 1992 of application of the law is applied little, as well in the companies as in the public places.

In the restaurants, spaces smokers were to be delimited zones respecting the following standards: " A minimal volume of 7 m ³ by occupant if they are ventilated by opening external or a minimal flow of ventilation of 7 liters a second and per occupant if there is a mechanical or natural ventilation by conduits". According to an investigation of October 2004 in France, 37% of the establishments do not have delimitation between spaces and 26% are still entirely smokers, in infringment with the law.

In 2005, the deputy of the Low-Rhine and vice-president of the National Assembly, Yves Bur revival in France the debate on the cigarette in the public places by depositing a private bill relating to protection against the dangers of passive smoking

Yves Bur becomes in May 2006 the vice-president of the mission of parliamentary information on the prohibition of the tobacco in the public places. Chaired by Claude Evin it recommends in October 2006 a total ban of the tobacco in the public places.

Thus, after several months of dialog with the government and thanks to a strong pressure of the public opinion, in November 2006, the Minister for Health, Xavier Bertrand presents his decree aiming at prohibiting the cigarette in the public places the first January 2007.

The decree presented by Xavier Bertrand:

He will be, starting from February 1st, 2007 , interdict to smoke in all the closed places and covers accommodating of the public or which constitute work places, in the health care institution, the whole of public transport, and in all school (including the open places such courses of schools), colleges and public lycée and deprived, as well as establishments intended for the reception, the training or the lodging of the minors. This prohibition will be recalled by an apparent indication.

In order to allow the bars, hotels, restaurants, tobacco shops, casinos, circles of plays and discotheques, to adapt economically to these new rules, the date of application of these measurements is fixed at the January 1st, 2008 for these categories of establishments.

To protect the nonsmokers

In the closed places and covers, the person in charge of establishment will be able to decide creation of sites reserved to the smokers. In the work places, public or deprived, their installation will be subjected to the opinion of the committee of hygiene and safety.

In order to protect the nonsmokers from passive smoking, these sites will have to be closed, equipped with devices of powerful ventilation, and no service could be delivered there so that no employee, that it belongs or not to the establishment, has to penetrate there before one hour after the end of the use of the room. The surface of these sites will not have to be higher than 20% of the surface of the establishment and a site will not be able to exceed 35 square meters. A medical message of prevention will be affixed at the entry. The 16 year old minors will not be able to reach it.

The creation of the sites reserved to the smokers will be able however to take place neither in schools, colleges, colleges and universities, neither in the health care institutions, nor in the administrations.

After February 1st, 2007 (or on January 1st, 2008 for the restaurants, coffees, bars, discotheques, casinos and circles of plays), prohibition will be total as long as the establishment did not obtain, if it wishes it, such a reserved space to the smokers.

The fact of smoking out of the sites reserved for this purpose will be sanctioned by an infringment of 3rd forfaitized class of 68 euros. The fact of having knowingly supported the violation of prohibition to smoke, or not to have set up the standards applicable to the sites reserved to the smokers or descriptive the there related one, will be sanctioned by an infringment of 4th class, infringment forfaitized in the last both cases with 135 euros.

the text of the decree :

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