Sir, - In reply to the questions asked in the Philip Morris Europe SA full page advertisement in your newspaper (June 5th) "Is it (second hand tobacco smoke) really a meaningful health risk to people who've chosen not to smoke?", I would like to point out the following:
(1) Second hand smoke is a phrase open to more than one interpretation. Does the research quoted refer to the smoke emitted from the burning tobacco between puffs, or from the smoke exhaled by the smoker? The former is far more dangerous, containing a higher concentration of known cancer causing chemicals and of nicotine, carbon monoxide and ammonia. The phrase "passive smoking" is surely more accurate.
(2) There is a huge body of scientific research, ranging from isolated studies in academia to major reports from the Surgeon General of the US Department of Health and Human Services, which details the potential effects of passive smoking: lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and an array of respiratory illnesses, emphysema, coronary heart disease, middle ear inflammatory conditions in children, deteriorated lung function in adult asthmatics, and an increased pulse rate and blood pressure in older people.
(3) With limited resources, organisations such as the Irish Heart Foundation, the Irish Cancer Society, the Health and Safety Authority, and the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health are trying to combat just the sort of propaganda contained in the aforementioned advertisement. In the interests of equality, perhaps you would afford them some space to put their case.
(4) The quality of the Philip Morris copy may perhaps best be judged by their conclusion that "eating pepper frequently" has "mortality" as a reported healthy effect. I've got news for them: even if you eat no pepper at all you die. It's the quality of life in between that I care about, and passive smoking is contributing nothing to mine. - Yours, etc.,
Coolamber Court,
Knocklyon, Dublin 16.