Environmental tobacco smoke and carcinogen exposure

Abstract

To assess the degree of carcinogen exposure among those individuals working or socializing in smoking environments, scientists at the University of Minnesota conducted two studies, which measured the level of carcinogen uptake in nonsmoking casino patrons and in nonsmoking bar and restaurant employees both before and after exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Both studies demonstrated that nonsmokers' exposure to ETS causes significant increases in uptake of tobaccospecific carcinogens and toxins.