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I typically stay out of this section of CD because I find it way to contentious and bickering with strangers on the internet is not my idea of fun. That being said, I thought this to be an interesting topic. The OP was curious to know if there were potential health effect to him because of a co-worker who smells of cigarette smoke. I thought it was a pretty fair question. It got me thinking as well.
I started doing some research and found no studies that actually support the claim that "odor" will actually cause you to get cancer from someone else. There are lots of sites that make absolute declaritive statements about how bad it is for you. However, not one of the areas I read/studied could provide empirical data to back up that claim. So there you have it boys and girls. Many people are making claims that odor is bad for you but no one seems to have empiric data to verify those claims.
That being said, I don't like smoking (or the smell) and thank goodness I work in a completely smoke free environment. In fact, our entire campus is smoke free. So if anyone wants to smoke - they got to leave our property
I appreciate you looking this question up for me. Really, I'm glad to hear that it is only an odor and not harmful in any way. The job pays better than Walmart and they do work around my school schedule. Plus I've been there for a couple years and and it's all familiar.
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Originally Posted by Halo_in_reverse
I typically stay out of this section of CD because I find it way to contentious and bickering with strangers on the internet is not my idea of fun. That being said, I thought this to be an interesting topic. The OP was curious to know if there were potential health effect to him because of a co-worker who smells of cigarette smoke. I thought it was a pretty fair question. It got me thinking as well.
I started doing some research and found no studies that actually support the claim that "odor" will actually cause you to get cancer from someone else. There are lots of sites that make absolute declaritive statements about how bad it is for you. However, not one of the areas I read/studied could provide empirical data to back up that claim. So there you have it boys and girls. Many people are making claims that odor is bad for you but no one seems to have empiric data to verify those claims.
That being said, I don't like smoking (or the smell) and thank goodness I work in a completely smoke free environment. In fact, our entire campus is smoke free. So if anyone wants to smoke - they got to leave our property
I appreciate you looking this question up for me. Really, I'm glad to hear that it is only an odor and not harmful in any way. The job pays better than Walmart and they do work around my school schedule. Plus I've been there for a couple years and and it's all familiar.
Oh, to be sure Matt. I'm no expert in that subject field. I just went looking for answers just like you and could find no studies that had proven empirical data on the subject.
If you're uncomfortable with the smell, maybe you could ask to be reassigned or moved to a different area? I know all too well, how yucky it is to be around a smoker (especially when they first come back) but as far as you getting cancer from their odor, I'm just not finding any studies to support it. Maybe someone else out there has a study that does support it (anyone????)
Good luck to you and remember, kindness goes a long way in this world. Don't look down on them because they smoke, don't ostracize or belittle, don't assume that they're low class or poor because they smoke. Just recognize it for what it is, which is an addiction that from what I hear is very hard to break. You sound like a good kid, with a good head on your shoulders and you are trying to be proactive where your health is concerned You're well on your way, it would seem, to becoming a really great man. Best of luck and let us know how it goes.
But, but, what about that OTHER dreaded po' folk habit....gum-snapping? Isn't that dangerous to one's health and shouldn't it be outlawed in every home on every street in every town? It so negatively affects my health and freedom...b/c one of these days I'm going to turn around and smack the gum-snapper standing behind me in line!
Oh, to be sure Matt. I'm no expert in that subject field. I just went looking for answers just like you and could find no studies that had proven empirical data on the subject.
If you're uncomfortable with the smell, maybe you could ask to be reassigned or moved to a different area? I know all too well, how yucky it is to be around a smoker (especially when they first come back) but as far as you getting cancer from their odor, I'm just not finding any studies to support it. Maybe someone else out there has a study that does support it (anyone????)
Good luck to you and remember, kindness goes a long way in this world. Don't look down on them because they smoke, don't ostracize or belittle, don't assume that they're low class or poor because they smoke. Just recognize it for what it is, which is an addiction that from what I hear is very hard to break. You sound like a good kid, with a good head on your shoulders and you are trying to be proactive where your health is concerned You're well on your way, it would seem, to becoming a really great man. Best of luck and let us know how it goes.
Certainly the lower the income of a given group, the greater the percentage of smokers you will find. Not unlike obesity now that I think of it, poorer people are more likely to be overweight or obese too. I suspect education must play a role.
But, but, what about that OTHER dreaded po' folk habit....gum-snapping? Isn't that dangerous to one's health and shouldn't it be outlawed in every home on every street in every town? It so negatively affects my health and freedom...b/c one of these days I'm going to turn around and smack the gum-snapper standing behind me in line!
You know how people have these little habits That get you down. Like Bernie. Bernie like to chew gum. No, not chew. POP. So I came home this one day And I am really irritated, and I'm looking for a bit of sympathy
and there's Bernie layin' on the couch, drinkin' a beer and chewin'. No, not chewin'. Poppin'. So, I said to him, I said, "you pop that gum one more time..." and he did. So I took the shotgun off the wall and I fired two warning shots... ...into his head
Sorry, I just could not resist it! Your post made me immediately think of this.
Certainly the lower the income of a given group, the greater the percentage of smokers you will find. Not unlike obesity now that I think of it, poorer people are more likely to be overweight or obese too. I suspect education must play a role.
I can't buy that unless I have hard statistical data to back that up. It's not that I think it's definitely untrue or that I'm saying that you're not correct. It's just that without data to back it up, I can't automatically assume that it's true or untrue.
You see, that's my problem in all of this. People are stating things as hard and fast truths when there is no empirical data to support their claim. While it may appear that way in your area, how are we to know that it appears quite the opposite in another area? It's hard to tell one way or the other in my area because I see so few people actually smoking. And quite honestly, I don't look at a person and automatically assume I know their net worth based on their clothing or the car they drive. I guess it's that whole assumption thing again.
It's like in science, in order to prove or disprove a hypothesis, one must conduct tests and gather statistical data.
I'd rather smell tobacco smoke than old lady/old man cologne. That smell is more reminiscent of a cadaver than anything else.
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That being said, I thought this to be an interesting topic. The OP was curious to know if there were potential health effect to him because of a co-worker who smells of cigarette smoke. I thought it was a pretty fair question. It got me thinking as well. 
but as far as you getting cancer from their odor, I'm just not finding any studies to support it. Maybe someone else out there has a study that does support it (anyone????)
