An estimate of adult mortality in the United States from passive smoking: Fid-Bau Portal

An estimate of adult mortality in the United States from passive smoking

Judson Wells, A.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to estimate the number of adult deaths per year in the United States from passive smoking. The epidemiological literature on passive smoking and adult mortality and cancer and heart morbidity is reviewed. Combined relative risks for lung cancer, cancers other than lung, and heart disease are calculated for each sex and disease category. These data along with estimates of nonsmoker death rates and populations exposed allow calculation of annual deaths in each category. Reduced relative risk and reduced exposure at older ages are taken into account as well as a correction for possible misclassification of smokers as nonsmokers and exposed nonsmokers as nonexposed. Altogether 46,000 deaths per year are calculated consisting of lung cancer (3000) other cancer (11,000) and heart disease (32,000). Reasons why such high estimates for other cancer and heart disease may be possible are explored. It is concluded that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke can have adverse long term health effects that are more serious than previously thought.