Second Hand Smoke

How Secondhand Smoke Affects Non-Smokers

Exposure to others' cigarette smoke can result in lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses in children and adults.

We’ve all heard about the negative health effects of secondhand smoke, but new research is shedding light on just how powerful it really is. A recent study from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that secondhand smoke can make it harder for smokers to kick the habit. Researchers say that secondhand smoke triggers nicotine cravings and directly alters brain function, similar to actually smoking a cigarette. If secondhand smoke has such a powerful affect on smokers, then what does it do to those who aren’t even lighting up?

The Evidence Against Secondhand Smoke

Tobacco smoke is a known carcinogen and toxic substance. Of the 4,000 chemicals found in cigarette smoke, at least 250 are considered harmful to your health and 60 of them are known or suspected causes of cancer. Some of the toxins contained in secondhand smoke are:

·         Arsenic

·         Benzene

·         Beryllium

·         Cadmium

·         Chromium

·         Ethylene oxide

·         Nickel

·         Polonium-210

·         Vinyl chloride

How Secondhand Smoke Harms Adults and Children

Research has found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths every year in non-smokers, including about 3,400 lung cancer deaths and an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths. Evidence is growing that secondhand smoke might also play a role in the development of breast cancer.

However, children are the most vulnerable victims of secondhand smoke. About 35 percent of kids in the United States — some 21 million children — live in homes where they are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. Children exposed to secondhand smoke suffer respiratory diseases, asthma attacks, and infections at an increased rate. Experts believe that every year secondhand smoke:

·         Results in 150,000 to 300,000 lung infections like pneumonia and bronchitis in kids younger than 18 months, leading to approximately 15,000 hospitalizations every year

·         Prompts more and worse asthma attacks in up to 1 million children with asthma

·         Is responsible for more than 750,000 middle ear infections in kids, due to build-up of fluid in the ear

·         Causes 430 babies to die of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS

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Secondhand smoke also harms fetuses. Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke have:

·         More miscarriages and stillbirths

·         An increased risk of delivering a baby with low birth weight

·         More babies with impaired lung function

Tactics such as using air cleaners, airing out buildings, and creating separate smoking and non-smoking sections do not prevent non-smokers' exposure to secondhand smoke.

The Stigma of Smoking

Because more people recognize the dangers of secondhand smoke, the act of smoking itself can harm relationships and cause people to avoid you. One survey of more than 800 current and former smokers living in New York City found that:

·         81 percent agreed that most people would not hire a smoker to take care of their children

·         72 percent agreed that most non-smokers would be reluctant to date a smoker

·         39 percent agreed that most people think less of a person who smokes

·         21 percent agreed that most people think smoking is a sign of personal failure

According to the American Cancer Society, the only way non-smokers can be completely protected from secondhand smoke indoors is to ban all indoor smoking.