State study cites death toll from secondhand smoke

Secondhand tobacco smoke is responsible for the deaths of an estimated
4,700 to 7,900 nonsmokers in California annually, including 136 infants, a
new state study released Thursday concluded.

The study by the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and
the state Air Resources Board also attributed up to 188,000 ear infections,
36,000 cases of bronchitis or pneumonia, and 3,100 cases of asthma annually
among California children to secondhand smoke.

The Air Resources Board described the sixyear study as "the most
comprehensive ever to identify the health hazards of secondhand smoke...and
how Californians are exposed to secondhand smoke at home, at work and in
public places."

The report was made public by the ARB and forwarded to the Department of
Health Services. Department spokesman Ken August said he didn't think it
would lead to any significant change in state policies.