VOA标准英语2010年-Second-hand Tobacco Smoke Can Cause Ps

Study finds mental health issues such as depression and anxiety increase along with exposure

Art Chimes | St. Louis, Missouri 15 June 2010
 

A new study finds that nonsmokers who are exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to experience psychiatric distress³.

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Archives of General Psychiatry⁴

In recent years, medical evidence has pointed⁵ to the harmful physical effects of second-hand⁶ smoke. Now, a new study adds to evidence that non-smokers² who live or work around smokers can experience psychological harm as well.

Dr. Mark Hamer of University College London says previous research found that smokers have a higher rate of mental illness, specifically depression.

"The problem with that body of research is that it's difficult to interpret because obviously people with existing mental health problems use cigarettes to self-medicate," he says.

In this study, Hamer and his colleagues combined measurements of tobacco exposure with interviews focused on mental health issues. They found that nonsmokers exposed to tobacco smoke were more likely to experience psychiatric distress, and that the mental health issues increased along with the tobacco exposure.

"We found that people with high exposure to second hand smoke had increased levels of depression and anxiety," says Hamer.

They also found that people exposed to second-hand smoke - like smokers - were more likely to be admitted to a hospital for a psychiatric illness than people without the exposure to tobacco smoke.

To accurately⁷ assess the level of second-hand smoke exposure, researchers tested for cotinine, which is produced when nicotine⁸ is metabolized. But they also asked the people in the study where they were exposed to tobacco smoke. Perhaps surprisingly, says Hamer, the answer wasn't at work, restaurants, or pubs.

"The people that are at the highest level of passive smoke are actually the ones reporting exposure in their own homes. So in other words, if you live with a smoker¹, you really are at very high risk of demonstrating high levels of second-hand smoke exposure."

Dr. Mark Hamer's study on the psychological impact of second-hand tobacco smoke appears in the Archives of General Psychiatry, a journal published by the American Medical Association.

 

1 smoker   

n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室

参考例句：

• His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
• He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。

2 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

3 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

4 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 second-hand   

adj.用过的，旧的，二手的

参考例句：

• I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
• They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。

7 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

8 nicotine   

n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。