Side effects
Studies of the effects of secondhand smoke first emerged in the 1980's, King said. Researchers examined people who lived in spousal situations, where one partner was a smoker and the other was not.
Some of the non-smoking spouses were diagnosed with asthma, bronchitis or emphysema after exposure to ETS, he said.
LaSalle said that your risk of cancer increases if you live with a smoker, and ETS itself causes 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually in nonsmokers.
Thirty to forty thousand people die each year from heart disease caused by second-hand smoke, King said.
Children are also greatly affected when they live with a smoker, he said. ETS exposure increased rates of childhood asthma in the children participating in the study.
Phillip Morris' Web site, www.pmusa.com, reports that children also suffered from respiratory infections, coughing, wheezing, otitis media (middle ear infection) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as a result of ETS.
"That's what made researchers think seriously about its effects," King said.
LaSalle said it is not always good to look at just long-term effects like cancer. Present circumstances are also very important.
"You can have respiratory problems, along with an increase in asthma attacks. Most people suffer more dramatically [from them]. Just 30 minutes of exposure starts to slow your blood flow to your heart," she said.
Another short-term effect is the exacerbation of existing problems, including asthma and bronchitis, King said.
The American Council on Science and Health disagrees with the extent that ETS affects your body.
"There is undeniable evidence that long term exposure to ETS increases the risk of upper respiratory ailments that can trigger asthma and other acute effects. The claim that ETS causes cancer, coronary heart disease, etc. is more speculative," organization president Elizabeth Whelan said in an email.
The Heartland Organization, a nonprofit group that supports tobacco growers and companies, stands strongly against the idea of ETS being a health risk. An argument made by the group states that "smoking" or "tobacco use" is not used as a cause of death on any mortality records.
According to TheTruth.com, tobacco companies put together a plan in 1990 to stop coroners from listing tobacco use and/or smoking as a complication related to death.
The Centre County Coroner's Office reported that the office does not determine what most causes of death are because they receive bodies from the hospital where the family doctor decides the cause of death. However, smoking and tobacco use are not thought of as a direct cause of death because they cause other conditions, such as cancer or heart disease, that lead to death.
Studies
ETS was also examined in the bigger picture, including the work setting and the consumer movement. Studies looked at effects on employees working at establishments that allow patrons to smoke. When the public got wind of the risks of working in a smoking environment, they began to question workers' safety.
"Researchers looked at blue-collar and industrial workers who smoked and inhaled carcinogens during their job. People also began to raise questions and question policies on smoking in buildings," King said.
King has worked in France studying the effects of ETS. He has seen a decrease in public smoking since he began his work there.
"Ten years ago, if you sat down next to someone who was smoking, they'd never move it [the cigarette]," he said. "Now, they'll move it to the side so it doesn't bother you. The norms in the culture are changing. The French are starting to ask questions and are more receptive than before. We know we'll be successful when there's a no-smoking bar in France."
LaSalle said a study was done in Helena, MT that instituted a smoke-free ban in all public places within the city. The local hospital saw a dramatic decrease in heart disease-related visits at the facility after the ban was implemented.
LaSalle also feels that tobacco companies have been trying to mislead the public since the 1970s.
"Tobacco companies hired their own researchers and are biased in their results. Specifically, they don't want the public to become anti-tobacco," she said.
In July 1995, The Journal of American Medical Association conducted a study to examine the tobacco industry's public and private responses to rising concern over ETS and its effects. According to the Journal's report, Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation and the British American Tobacco Company conducted research that proved ETS was dangerous, but publicly denied their findings and disputed other research that also found ETS to be carcinogenic. The denial of evidence was stated in their conference reports after the study was conducted, reported the Journal.
Smoke free legislation
Many states across the country are beginning to look into smoke-free legislation. New York City's Mayor Bloomberg proposed new legislation in 2002 that would ban smoking in all bars, restaurants and pool halls, regardless of size. The current law bans smoking only in restaurants that seat more than 35 people, have stand-alone bars or bars within restaurants that are separately ventilated.
California banned indoor public smoking in public places or limited it to specific areas. It developed a comprehensive statewide tobacco control program that has left virtually all indoor workplaces smoke-free, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Penn State is beginning to look at smoke-free legislation that would work in cooperation with downtown business owners, LaSalle said. However, a state law prohibits any local jurisdiction from being passed that is stricter than the existing state law, she said.
LaSalle pointed out that college students are at a high risk for exposure to ETS, especially in bars.
"The particles are smaller in ETS and become embedded deeper in your lungs. That's one reason why second-hand smoke is so dangerous," she said.
However, the Tobacco Institute reports when smoking is allowed in offices, restaurants and public facilities, the levels recorded were so small that a non-smoker would have to spend more than 100 hours exposed to second-hand smoke to equal the level of nicotine found in one cigarette. It also compares nicotine levels in typical indoor environments to making a gin and tonic by adding a thimble-full of gin to an Olympic-size swimming pool.
King said he supports the possibility of smoke-free areas in downtown State College.
"We have to recognize that things won't change overnight. The key is persuasion. We need to get their [business owners] input--it's a collective process," he said.
He emphasized that the idea is not a movement against entrepreneurs with liquor licenses. There also should be little economic impact for the local restaurants and bars if all of them agree to the bill.
"People won't stop going to the bars if they all go smoke-free. If only one did, then maybe," he said.
Hal McCullough, owner of Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave, feels differently.
"It would definitely affect my business. I'm not in favor of it in any way, shape or form. Most establishments that had smoke-free legislation had a 40 percent drop in business," he said.
Phillip Morris was contacted by phone regarding smoke-free legislation but refused to comment, referring customers to its Web site. The site stated that the conclusions of public health officials concerning ETS are sufficient to warrant measures that regulate smoking in public places.
King feels that although smokers have the right to smoke, they do not have the right to expose others to their second-hand smoke.
"It's unpleasant, almost like bad breath. If you can avoid it, you really should," he said.
