Workers Who Are Non-Smokers Suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD]

Approximately 25% of adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have never smoked, and workplace exposures likely contribute to much of their disease. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] that 24% of workers who suffer from COPD never smoked. Among these persons, 26%–53% of COPD can be attributed to workplace exposures, including dust, fumes, gases, vapors, and secondhand smoke exposure.