Exposure to secondhand smoke in an enclosed car has a direct measurable effect on the brain and this effect is similar to what happens in the brain of a smoker, the results of a new study indicate.
US researchers used PET (positron emission tomography) scans as part of the study. A PET scan provides much more detailed images of the body than a traditional CT scan or MRI.
The team used the PET scans to demonstrate that one hour of secondhand smoke in an enclosed space, such as a car, results in enough nicotine reaching the brain to bind receptors that are normally targeted by direct exposure to tobacco smoke. This happens in the brain of both smokers and non-smokers.
Source: Deborah Condon, irishhealth.com, 03/05/2011