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Use of Urinary Nicotine Concentrations to Estimate Exposure and Mortality from Passive Smoking in Non‐Smokers
Author(s) -
RUSSELL M. A. H.,
JARVIS M. J.,
WEST R. J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1986.tb00327.x
Subject(s) - nicotine , medicine , tar (computing) , passive smoking , cigarette smoking , environmental health , urinary system , smoking history , computer science , programming language
Summary Data on urinary nicotine concentrations in smokers and non‐smokers were used to estimate exposure and risks from passive smoking in non‐smokers. The average concentration in 188 urban non‐smokers was 10.8 ng/ml which was 0.7% of the average of 1471 ng/ml in a sample of 229 cigarette smokers. This suggests that the amount of nicotine that non‐smokers absorb from passive smoking is about 0.7% of the intake of smokers. The proportionate intake of tar and gases such as carbon monoxide is likely, if anything, to be higher. If the risk of death is in direct proportion to dose, passive smoking may account for the premature death of about 1000 non‐smokers a year in Britain and more than 4000 per year in the United States.