Radon and Cigarettes

Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs when uranium breaks down in soil and and rocks. It is found everywhere in the air that you breath but becomes a problem to your health when it accumulates inside your home. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The first leading cause is smoking. So what happens when you combine radon and cigarettes?

Radon and Cigarettes

Every year we learn more about radon gas and its ties to lung cancer. Because it is the second leading cause of lung cancer, right behind smoking, what happens when you combine radon and cigarettes? If you are a smoker or live with a smoker and are exposed to second hand smoke, radon exposure will significantly increase the risk of lung cancer. Studies done by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and many medical researches have discovered higher death rates among smokers who have contracted radon-induced lung cancer.

Because 1 in 3 homes in Utah have high radon levels, it is recommended that every home be tested. For smokers, this becomes even more critical because radon and cigarettes together can be a deadly combination.Testing for radon is easy and inexpensive. Your results are a simple number that tell you the radon levels in your home. Radon is measured in picocuries per liter or pCi/L. The EPA recommends reducing the radon levels in your home if they are above a level of 4 pCi/L. If your levels are above 4, a radon mitigation system can reduce the radon levels in your home. Doing so will greatly reduce the risk of contracting lung cancer. You can further reduce your risk by not smoking.

The truth is that if you are a smoker you are already at risk of contracting lung cancer. Add in radon gas and you have the top 3 leading causes of lung cancer all brewing in your home. While quitting smoking is a difficult thing to do, ridding your house of radon gas is not. Start by testing your home. Fill out the form on this page or by calling the radon specialists at Utah Radon Services.