That's Fit

Second-hand smoke is despicable any way you slice it (although I've heard vehement disagreements to that statement), but let's go beyond the standard health issues it can cause non-smokers, shall we?

A new study finds that second-hand smoke also affects the test scores of non-smoking teens. Sounds weird, right? Research out of Temple University states that those in the 16-18 age bracket that were exposed to second-hand smoke were 30 percent less likely to pass standardized tests compared to their peers.

Now, I'm not sure how the researchers observed exposure to second-hand smoke in the lives of these kids outside of a survey, but the results are interesting nonetheless. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests second-hand smoke does indeed affect test scores, so this study can be added to that list now.

There are less and less public areas these days in which a smoker can find refuge to indulge in a cigarette or two. Supporters of a healthy environment -- whether in a restaurant, shopping center or just out walking around -- have lauded the state policies that seem to crop up constantly that forbid smoking in certain public places.

Opponents fear that by losing potential customers that smoke, business damage can result and that can be worse than the small amount of second-hand smoke non-smokers ingest.

Well, the sharp drop in second-hand smoke exposure is no longer a myth really -- and a team led by Dr. Saverio Stranges said that "In the absence of high levels of recent exposure to second-hand smoke, cumulative lifetime exposure to second-hand smoke may not be as important a risk factor for myocardial infarction (heart attack) as previously thought."

Evidence apparently continues to mount, though, due to the fact that hospital admissions for heart attacks seem to drop sharply from certain areas once smoking is banned in those same areas and second-hand smoke exposure drops drastically as a result.