We hear about the ozone layer and global warming and petroleum products polluting our air with its by-products and chemicals used as propellent in aerosol cans and freon that is still in use in some automobile air conditioners and everything else that causes air pollution to sky-rocket (no pun intended). Cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix and others still have brown air hovering overhead despite passing vehicle inspection requirements…
All the while, cases of allergies, asthma, lung cancer, etc. are on the rise.
Fewer and fewer people are smoking. More and more establishments are entirely smoke-free (e.g. Subway and most fast food restaurants, some Pizza Huts, several corporate chain restaurants that I have been in lately).
So how come there is very, very little (if any) discussion from any source about the possible link between the steady rise in air pollution and the frequency of breathing-related disorders and diseases? Why is second-hand smoke always considered the sole “cause” of almost every case of lung cancer, instance of asthma, and on and on to the exclusion of every other possibility? Is there something I am completely missing? Could it be that the anti-smoking militants have blown something way out of proportion in an effort to control their fellow human beings’ habits and, ultimately, their desires?
DISCLAIMER: I realize that many people do in fact have an acute allergy to smoke. I do not deny that smoke is indeed a big risk factor for the smoker him(or her-)self (I do harbor a bit of skepticism regarding the “second-hand smoke kills” philosophy, though).
Just an opinion, but I’ve always thought that, unless you’re living with a smoker, sharing a closed office with one, or working in a smokey bar, the volume of lung-damaging stuff you’re getting from occasional second-hand smoke pales in comparison to what you’re getting by sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 30 minutes on your morning commute.
In short, yes, you are completely missing something. Quite a bit, actually.
There are tons of articles about the link between pollution and breathing-related diseases and disorders. Second-hand smoke is not at all “always” considered the sole cause. In fact, the articles on pollution being related to breathing ailments have increased in recent years, so I would suggest that you just look for some of them. I did a simple search on CNN.com for “asthma pollution” and came up with a number of articles going back years. Here are just a few:
EPA proposes tough rules on heavy truck pollutants
From the article: “The proposal is designed to reduce smog and other chemicals in the air that have been linked to diseases such as cancer and asthma. Each year smog and soot account for 15,000 premature deaths, one million respiratory problems, 400,000 asthma attacks and thousands of cases of aggravated asthma, especially in children, according to the agency.” This article was posted May 17, 2000.
Studies confirm dirty air may cause disease
From the article: “Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America. Lung cancer is the No. 1 one cancer killer. And asthma is the No. 1 chronic disease in children. These diseases have a frightening element in common: Air pollution can make them worse. And a study conducted by the American Cancer Society and others has reached a startling conclusion – air pollution may be leading to deaths from lung cancer, heart attack, stroke and asthma.” This article was posted March 6, 2002.
California plan aims to protect kids from air pollution
From the article: “The goal of the district is to increase lung and asthma testing of children and to encourage the conversion of school buses from diesel fuel to low emission clean fuel vehicles.” This article was posted back on January 16, 1999.
Um … in industrialized nations, air pollution has been decreasing since the 1970s. Emissions laws for cars and factories are primarily responsible for this.
It’s only in developing (3rd world) countries that air pollution is on the rise.
And in case you were wondering: most compounds that damage the ozone layers (such as chlorofluorocarbons), and most greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide), are not considered “air pollution.”