By IANS
New York : Exposure to second hand smoke may increase the risk of cancer in non-smokers, a study in the US indicates.
The study in Oregon compared the level of tobacco-specific carcinogen (substances that cause cancer) in non-smoking employees of restaurants that allow smoking with the employees in restaurants that have banned it.
The study, in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found that the restaurant workers exposed to tobacco smoke on the job were more likely to have a detectable level of N.N.K – a carcinogen responsible for the development of lung cancer than those who worked in tobacco-free environments.
In addition to N.N.K, second hand smoke contains more than 50 other carcinogens and a host of other toxic substances that cause lung cancer, other cancers, and heart and lung diseases, lead author Michael J. Stark said.
Stark is the principal investigator for the Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Department of Human Services.