Reader response: Smoking cessation and outcome after ischemic stroke or TIA
The article by Epstein et al.1 highlights the importance of smoking cessation. However, a major aspect that is often neglected is the health hazards of passive smoking.2 Many studies have addressed the casual relationship between environmental tobacco smoke, passive smoking, and secondhand smoking, and the risk of stroke increases by 10%–30% even with only an hour per week of exposure to passive smoking.3,4 Simple cessation of smoking can, therefore, give a pseudo belief of minimizing this risk if there is an exposure to passive smoking. It is prudent to implement strict heath regulation acts in addressing this neglected health hazard especially in public areas. This could be a stepping stone in our quest to conquer this global health issue.