By Dr. Evan Adams, FNHA CMO
World Environmental Health Day is a day to reflect on how the world around us—built and natural, at home or away from home—contributes to protect our wellbeing. It is also a time to consider what we can do to ensure that our environment is friendly and beneficial, not toxic and harmful. Of course, we cannot always control environmental hazards like pollution, but we can control our own harmful actions like smoking (including "vaping").
As a physician who’s seen some of the tragic and preventable effects of smoking up close, I’d like to share with you some additional cold hard facts—including the fact that every year, over 100 British Columbians who are non-smokers die from diseases caused by second-hand smoke. Yet 8.8% of children, 28.2% of youth and 25.4% of adults reported exposure to second-hand smoke in the home in the most recent BC Regional Health Survey (2008).
Non-smokers are exposed to "second-hand smoke" from cigarettes, cigars or pipes as well as the smoke exhaled by the smoker. This smoke is poisonous, with over 4000 chemicals including 50 that cause cancer. "Third-hand smoke" is the smoke and chemicals that become trapped in clothing, fabrics and carpets. It is especially dangerous for babies who are placed on or near them.
By now, we all know that smoking, including vaping, is extremely harmful to our health and to the environment. However, the effects of second-hand smoke (and even third-hand smoke) are perhaps not as well known. Let’s talk for a minute about babies and children, our precious gifts that we as parents would never intentionally harm. Did you know that second- and third-hand smoke are linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), along with several other factors? Sadly, among BC First Nations, SIDS is on the rise, and infants in 26% of SIDS cases between 2008-2012 were exposed to tobacco smoke. Today’s teachings tell us that we must wash our hands and change our clothing or jackets after smoking and before picking up baby.
Many BC First Nations have traditionally used tobacco for smudging and ceremonial purposes—appropriate and important uses for tobacco. Non-traditional use and abuse, such as chewing tobacco, cigarette and cigar smoking as well as vaping, is where the health problems come in.
Thankfully, more and more First Nations families are choosing to be smoke-free and to have smoke-free homes that are safer for all members of the family, including those little ones who don’t have much control over their environments. Studies show that mothers are largely leading this change, and I raise my hands to you and challenge all the fathers out there to become equally vocal champions of smoke-free environments.
Yours in Wellness,
Dr. Evan Adams, FNHA CMO
The First Nations Health Authority has an interactive learning initiative about second-hand smoke called "Inside Out" that is available for use by any interested First Nations community or organization. The message of this initiative is simple but important: "When children are inside, smoking goes out." The initiative provides information about the harmful effects of second-hand smoke on our loved ones, especially children, and was designed to be set up at community gatherings like health fairs, ideally where families are present.
It was launched at an event in the summer of 2015, and following participation at an information table, two-thirds of participants reported that they are now more likely to speak with friends and family about the dangers of second-hand smoke. Over half said they were now more likely to create a smoking space outside, away from doors and windows. For more information about Inside Out, contact Rebecca Sovdi at rebecca.sovdi@fnha.ca.
