ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Secondhand cigarette smoke (SHS) is one of the most important air pollutants in the world today. In the developed world, exposure to SHS is experienced more frequently and at higher concentrations than exposure to any other air pollutant. In the developing world, exposure to smoke from cooking and heating fires is greater than SHS for many populations, but sales and consumption of cigarettes are growing explosively (1). The upper respiratory tract is an important site of SHS action. Sensory irritation, nasal airway obstruction, inflammatory diseases, and nasal cancer are all causally related to SHS exposure.
