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Feb 02, 2004 -- Test kits for second hand smoke

You’ve probably heard quite a bit about “second hand smoke.” But can you be exposed to second hand smoke if no one is smoking at the time? Well, it turns out you can. The Washington Post featured a couple - Martha and Bob – who live in suburban Virginia. Martha has asthma, so Bob – the smoker of the couple - goes outside to smoke. Martha thought she was fine because she was never around active smoking. But she tested her second hand smoke exposure using a new test from a company called Nymox. To her surprise, she tested at a “Level 2,” which meant she was at the same level of “an occasional smoker.” That’s just one level below active smokers, who rate a “Level 3” with the kit. Believe it or not, her body has ingested carcinogens from just being around her husband even when he’s not smoking. Just being around people who have it in their clothes and cars can expose you. But the kits are being used for all kind of reasons. Parents are using them to determine if their kids are smoking, and corporations are using them on employees they suspect of smoking. The FDA told the Washington Post that they don’t know anything about this product, so their effectiveness is not proven. But you can buy them easily online or in drug stores now. It’s shocking to know that you don’t need to be around someone smoking to suffer the effects of second hand smoke. Clark smoked about two packs a day in college and he quit when his body couldn’t perform like it used to.

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