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NEWS SERVICES |
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News Release
| For immediate use |
March 21, 2005 -- No. 118 |
UNC health workers design new newsletter
to help citizens combat secondhand smoke
By DAVID WILLIAMSON
UNC News Services
CHAPEL HILL -- The Environmental Tobacco Smoke Training, Education and Research Program (EnTER) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has developed a newsletter to disseminate information about curtailing people’s exposure to unhealthy secondhand smoke.
"Secondhand Smoke News," an online publication of the UNC School of Medicine, summarizes the latest news and research about secondhand smoke and opportunities to advocate against it.
"Citizens across North Carolina have been asking us how they can contribute to eliminating exposure to smoke in public places," said Dr. Adam Goldstein, director of UNC's Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Programs. "‘Secondhand Smoke News,’ available monthly, will give everyone in the state an opportunity to participate."
"Secondhand smoke is responsible for more than 1,200 deaths in North Carolina every year from heart disease and lung cancer and also contributes to many other illnesses," said Melanie Miller, EnTER associate program coordinator.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that anyone with heart disease or who has risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure or cholesterol not be exposed to secondhand smoke in enclosed areas, Miller said.
"More and more people are realizing that secondhand smoke is unhealthy, even for short periods," she said. "This newsletter will give people a chance to take action to ensure that they and their families will have clean air in their worksites and in restaurants, shopping malls and sports arenas."
Besides causing deaths from lung cancer and heart disease, secondhand smoke contributes to asthma and ear infections in children and more frequent respiratory infections in people who live or work in smoky places, Miller said. If pregnant women are exposed to secondhand smoke, their babies have a greater chance of being born with lower birth weight, which boosts the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
"Secondhand Smoke News" is available at www.fammed.unc.edu/enter or www.smokefreenc.org. For details, contact the EnTER Program at 919-966-8081 or enter@med.unc.edu.
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Note: Miller can be reached at (919) 966-5083.
News Services Contact: David Williamson, (919) 962-8596