London, ON – National Non-Smoking Week kicks off today with a reminder that smoke is smoke, whether it comes from tobacco, cannabis (marijuana) or from a hookah pipe, and your best defense is to limit your exposure. With new regulations contained within Ontario’s Cannabis Act and the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017 being posted for public comment, this week is a great time to talk about the dangers of smoke, regardless of its source.
Established in 1977 by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control, National Non-Smoking Week is a nation-wide effort to inform and educate Canadians about the dangers of tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke, and to support and encourage those who currently use tobacco, to quit. National Non-Smoking Week continues until Saturday, January 27th.
“Ontario is preparing for the legalization of cannabis and while most people know there is absolutely no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke, there’s less awareness about health risks associated with exposure to cannabis smoke,” says Linda Stobo, Program Manager for Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control. “Many of the same fine particles, cancer-causing compounds, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide and heavy metals that are found in tobacco smoke are also found in cannabis smoke.”
Analysis of tobacco and cannabis smoke has shown that they share 33 known cancer-causing chemicals; these substances are also found on California’s list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects.
The smoke from a hookah pipe can also cause serious health risks, similar to those posed by tobacco and cannabis smoke. Hookahs are water pipes that are used to smoke flavoured specialty-made tobacco and herbal shisha. The charcoal used to heat the product produces very high levels of carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals.
“During a typical hookah session, 90,000 milliliters (ml) of smoke is inhaled, compared with 500-600 ml when smoking a cigarette, which is cause for serious concern,” adds Stobo. “The smoke from both tobacco shisha and herbal shisha contains carbon monoxide and other toxic agents that increase the potential for smoking-related cancers, as well as heart and lung disease.”
The Health Unit recommends that everyone limit their exposure to tobacco, cannabis and hookah smoke. This is especially important for children, pregnant women, older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma, lung and heart diseases. For more information, visit www.healthunit.com/smoke-is-smoke.
Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 519-663-5317 extension 2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell.)
Spokesperson:
Linda Stobo, Program Manager, Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control