Second Hand Smoke Exposure High in NY

New York, NY —

Non-smoking New Yorkers are more likely to be exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke than those in the rest of the nation. The city's health department found 57 percent had a nicotine by-product in their blood, indicating exposure to second-hand smoke. That's compared to 45 percent nationwide. Deputy Health Commissioner doctor Lorna Thorpe:

THORPE: No amount of second hand smoke is good for you and the more exposure you have the worse off it is. It has been associated with increased risk for heart disease and lung cancer.

The data is based on a survey that was taken in 2004, one year after the city banned smoking in most public spaces. The health department is urging New Yorkers to create smoke-free homes, noting that close living conditions mean other apartment dwellers are breathing that second-hand smoke.