International Reports

The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke (A Report of the Surgeon General)

Category: International Reports

The topic of passive or involuntary smoking was first addressed in the 1972 U.S. Surgeon General’s report (The Health Consequences of Smoking, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [USDHEW] 1972), only eight years after the first Surgeon General’s report on the health consequences of active smoking (USDHEW 1964). Surgeon General
Dr. Jesse Steinfeld had raised concerns about this topic, leading to its inclusion in that report. The studies supported a conclusion that “an atmosphere contaminated with tobacco smoke can contribute to the discomfort of many individuals” (USDHEW 1972, p. 7). The possibility that CO emitted from cigarettes could harm persons with chronic heart or lung disease was also mentioned.

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