I was invited yesterday to comment on a new study involving more than 6,400 young people.
Researchers have assessed the effects of passive smoking on blood pressure in children and the results have been summarised as follows:
Boys who inhale second-hand tobacco smoke at home may experience significant levels of raised blood pressure. In later life this could lead to high blood pressure, or hypertension, and an increased risk of heart disease. But in girls passive smoking appeared to be associated with a lowering of blood pressure.
According to Dr Jill Baumgartner from the University of Minnesota:
"While the increases in blood pressure observed among boys in our study may not be clinically meaningful for an individual child, they have large implications for populations.
"The relationship between second-hand smoke exposure and blood pressure observed in our study provides further incentives for governments to support smoking bans and other legislation that protect children from second-hand smoke."
So, let's get this right. According to the research (reported by several papers today):
Boys who inhale second-hand tobacco smoke at home may [my emphasis] experience significant levels of raised blood pressure. This could [my emphasis] lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease.
The increases in blood pressure observed among boys may not be clinically meaningful for an individual child [my emphasis] yet the research provides further incentives (not evidence, note) for governments to support smoking bans and other legislation that protect children from second-hand smoke.
My reaction?
"This sounds like yet more scaremongering designed to stigmatise adults who smoke at home.
"By their own admission the result of the study is not clinically meaningful for an individual child, so I don't understand how it supports smoking bans and further legislation.
"A more reasonable response would be: nothing to see here, move along."
The Scotsman has the story (with most of my quote above): Passive smoking fumes raise boys' blood pressure ... but lowers girls'
In contrast the Guardian not only omits any mention of the lowering of girls' blood pressure in its headline, it's not even mentioned until the ninth paragraph of the report: Passive smoking raises blood pressure in boys, study reveals.
See also: Passive smoking lowers blood pressure in girls, study reveals (Velvet Glove Iron Fist)