[The consequences of passive smoking in adults].
BACKGROUND
Passive smoking is the involuntary inhalation by a non-smoker of smoke generated in his neighbourhood by one or more smokers.


BACKGROUND
The effect of this exposure is already generally recognised in children. In adults the induction of chronic obstructive lung disease has not been demonstrated. This is no longer the case for ischaemic heart disease and lung cancer where the effect of passive exposure of non-smokers to cigarette smoke is recognised. The biological plausibility together with the concordance of results obtained over successive years, as well as the large numbers of patients included in the studies, lead to a confident conclusion that the risks in adult non-smokers are increased by the order of 25%.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no evidence that bias affects the conclusions reached and the World Health Organisation has recently classified passive smoking as being carcinogenic in man. As a result of these data prevention of passive exposure to cigarette smoke should be part of a larger framework of smoking prevention, especially among the young.
Trédaniel
J
J
Service d'Oncologie Médicale, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France. jean.tredaniel@sls.aphp.fr
Savinelli
F
F
Vignot
S
S
Bousquet
G
G
Le Maignan
C
C
Misset
J-L
JL
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution