MMWR

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Exposure to Secondhand Smoke among Students Aged 13-15 Years - Worldwide, 2000-2007

PRESS CONTACT: CDC — National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
(770) 488-5131

Unless tobacco consumption and exposure to secondhand smoke are reduced, the global burden of disease attributable to tobacco will continue to increase.  Breathing secondhand smoke (SHS) causes heart disease and lung cancer in adults and sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more frequent and severe asthma attacks in children.  Findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 137 countries during 2000 to 2007 reveal that half of students aged 13-15 years who have never smoked reported being exposed to secondhand smoke at home (47 percent) or in places other than the home (48 percent).  The analysis also found that students who were exposed to secondhand smoke were more likely to begin smoking.  In 2006, the U.S. Surgeon General found that only eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure.

State-Specific Prevalence of Smoke-Free Home Rules - United States, 1992-2003

PRESS CONTACT: CDC—National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
(770) 488-5131

Comprehensive tobacco-control measures, including evidence-based interventions to help smokers quit, policies making workplaces and public places smoke-free, and initiatives to educate the public on the health effects of secondhand smoke, are needed to further reduce exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and in adults who do not smoke.  The home is the primary source of exposure to secondhand smoke for infants and children and an important source of secondhand exposure for nonsmoking adults.  According to data from the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS), nearly three out of four U.S. households do not allow smoking anywhere and any time in the home.  The proportion of U.S. households with smoke-free home rules increased from 43 percent in 1992-1993 to 72 percent in 2003.  Although the proportion of households with smoke-free home rules varied among the states, this proportion increased significantly in every state over this period. Kentucky had the lowest and Utah had the highest proportion of households reporting smoke-free home rules for both reported periods.  The proportion of smoke-free homes increased from 25.7 percent to 53.4 percent in Kentucky and from 69.6 percent to 88.8 percent in Utah.

Outpatient Rehabilitation among Stroke Survivors - 21 States and the District of Columbia, 2005

PRESS CONTACT: CDC —National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
(770) 488-5131

More effort is needed in improving outpatient rehabilitation among stroke survivors. Increasing access to specialized rehabilitation facilities, improving education of healthcare providers and patients, and addressing environmental factors and supporting policy that encourage patient care are essential in improving the rate of outpatient rehabilitation among stroke survivors.  About a third (30.7 percent) of stroke survivors received outpatient rehabilitation care, according to this study, which analyzes data from 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and provides prevalence estimates of stroke survivors that received outpatient stroke rehabilitation in 21 states and the District of Columbia (DC). It also found that black stroke survivors (37.5 percent) were more likely to receive stroke rehabilitation care than whites (28.7 percent) and Hispanics (30.4 percent).  A higher prevalence of outpatient stroke rehabilitation care was also observed among men, unemployed or retired adults, and those living in inner-city metropolitan areas.  The study’s findings show a gap between the actual use of outpatient stroke rehabilitation services and clinical practice guidelines for all stroke patients.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES