Report claims risks of secondhand smoke inhalation on decline

ATLANTA Even though there is still concern that almost half of the population of American nonsmokers still inhale some cigarette fumes, a government study released yesterday said that the rate has declined significantly since the 1990s.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the amount of found in bars, restaurants work sites and other public places has been lessened substantially, thanks to smoking bans in such areas.

There has also been a decline drop in number of Americans who smoke, the researchers concluded. According to the CDC’s 2007 data, the number of smokers is down to less than 20 percent of U.S. adults.

Amounts of nicotine were found in blood taken 46 percent of a group of nonsmokers blood-tested during dates between 1999 through 2004. This was a notable decline from the late 1980s and early 1990s when around 84 percent of nonsmokers were found with rates of nicotine around the same levels.

The CDC was not ready to call the decline in numbers of smokers and nonsmokers exposed to smoke a total victory, however. Specialists warn that smoking is still deadly, causing lung cancer among other illnesses in smokers, and nonsmokers, as well.