Hazards of Second-Hand Smoking

Second-hand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke, is the mixture of the smoke which comes from the cigarette of smokers and the smoke which the cigarette smokers exhale from their lungs. The phrase "involuntary smoking" refers to nonsmokers' exposure to second-hand smoke. People exposed to second-hand smoke suffer most of the same consequences which direct smokers do because cigarette smoke contains dangerous chemicals that adversely affect both smokers and non-smokers.

Cancer

• A carcinogen is a substance which causes cancer.

  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies second-hand smoke as a "known human carcinogen". A carcinogen is a substance which causes cancer. The American Cancer Society states that second-hand smoke causes about 3,400 lung cancer deaths every year among non-smoking adults who received significant exposure. Those most affected include people constantly exposed to second-hand smoke, like those who live with smokers and those who work in places with smokers. The US Surgeon General released a report stating that non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke at home or work increase their likelihood of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent. The report also states that higher concentrations of carcinogens and other harmful chemicals occur in the smoke inhaled by second-hand smokers. The cigarette smoke which smokers inhale passes through a filter, while smoke inhaled by passive smokers inhale is a combination of mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke. Sidestream smoke comes from the lighted end of the cigarette while mainstream smoke is the smoke which the smokers exhale.

Effect of Secondhand Smoke on Children

• Babies of those who smoke have a greater chance of developing pneumonia.

  Second-hand smoke affects children more than adults because of their fragility. Babies of smokers have a greater chance of developing pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, ear infections and other lung diseases. The Surgeon General's report states that infants whose mothers smoke during pregnancy have a higher chance of dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than those babies whose mothers did not smoke.

Cardiovascular Diseases

• Smoking causes a buildup of fatty tissues in the arteries.

  Smoking causes a buildup of fatty tissues in the arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis. This disease causes the normal lining of the arteries to deteriorate, creating a thickening of the walls of the arteries. When this happens, deposits of fat and plaque block blood flow through the arteries. Smoking also leads to an increase in the possibility of a heart attack for smokers, as opposed to non-smokers.