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Millions Still Exposed to Secondhand Smoke

You may not be a smoker but chances are, there are times when you are breathing in secondhand smoke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an estimated 58 million Americans , who do not smoke, are exposed to secondhand smoke.

Brian King , CDC says, "there is now risk-free levels of secondhand smoke and that's why today's findings are particularly concerning to us."

Exposure to secondhand smoke remains high for certain groups, including children ages 3-11 years (38 %), people living in poverty (48 %), and people living in rental housing (39 %), according to findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey released today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The study assessed exposure using serum cotinine, a marker of secondhand smoke found in the blood.

“We know there’s no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D. “These findings reveal that there is still much more to do to protect everyone—especially children—from this completely preventable health hazard.”

41,000 people die from secondhand smoke in the U-S every year.

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