Selected secondhand smoke research: summary and comment

Secondhand smoke is one of the more controversial public health issues. It is controversial because laws regulating secondhand smoke create conflict between the rights of smokers and non-smokers. The results of secondhand smoke research frequently focus on risk factors in four areas: heart disease, cancer, respiratory disorders, and middle ear discase. While many studies have found hazards in each of these four areas, there is some disagreement regarding the degree and extent of the threat posed by these hazards. Future research should discover more risks associated with secondhand smoke and suggest appropriate educational, medical, legal, and environmental remedies for this problem. Then society can establish prevention programs and enact laws which protect non-smokers, but at the same time infringe as little as possible on the rights of others.