Press Release WHO/29

9 March 1998

PASSIVE SMOKING DOES CAUSE LUNG
CANCER,
DO
NOT LET THEM FOOL YOU

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been publicly
accused of suppressing information. Its opponents say that WHO has
withheld from publication its own report that was aimed at but
supposedly failed to scientifically prove that there is an association
between passive smoking, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and a
number of diseases, lung cancer in particular. Both statements are
untrue.

The study in question is a case-control study on the
effects of ETS on lung cancer risk in European populations, which has
been carried out over the last seven years by 12 research centres in 7
European countries under the leadership of WHO's cancer research
branch -- the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The results of this study, which have been completely
misrepresented in recent news reports, are very much in line with the
results of similar studies both in Europe and elsewhere: passive
smoking causes lung cancer in non-smokers.

The study found that there was an estimated 16%
increased risk of lung cancer among non-smoking spouses of smokers.
For workplace exposure the estimated increase in risk was 17%.
However, due to small sample size, neither increased risk was
statistically significant. Although, the study points towards a
decreasing risk after cessation of exposure.

In February 1998, according to usual scientific
practice, a paper reporting the main study results was sent to a
reputable scientific journal for consideration and peer review. That
is why the full report is not yet publicly available. Under the
circumstances, however, the authors of the study have agreed to make
an abstract of the report available to the media.

"It is extremely important to note that the results
of this study are consistent with the results of major scientific
reviews of this question published during 1997 by the government of
Australia, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the State of
California", said Neil Collishaw, Acting Chief of WHO's Tobacco or
Health Unit in Geneva. "A major meta-analysis of passive smoking and
lung cancer was also published in the British Medical Journal in 1997.
From these and other previous reviews of the scientific evidence
emerges a clear global scientific consensus — passive smoking does
cause lung cancer and other diseases", he concluded.

"IARC is proud of the careful scientific work done by
the European scientific team responsible for this study", commented Dr
Paul Kleihues, the Agency's director. "We are very concerned about the
false and misleading statements recently published in the mass media.
It is no coincidence that this misinformation originally appeared in
the British press just before the No-Tobacco Day in the United Kingdom
and the scheduled publication of the report of the British Scientific
Committee on Tobacco and Health".

Further information on the health effects of passive
smoking is available in WHO's Advisory Kit for World No-Tobacco Day
1998 on the World Wide Web at www.who.ch/ntday, as well as from WHO's
Tobacco or Health Unit, Programme on Substance Abuse.

For
further information, journalists can contact Igor Rozov, Health
Communications and Public Relations WHO, Geneva. Telephone (41 22) 791
2532. Fax (41 22) 791 4858. E-mail [email-masked] or Dr Rodolfo Saracci,
IARC, Lyon, France, e-mail [email-masked]

All
WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features as well as other
information on this subject can be obtained on Internet on the WHO
home page http://www.who.int/

© WHO/OMS, 1998  |
Concept