Side Effects From ETS

ETS, or environmental tobacco smoke, is also called secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can cause serious complications in both adults and children.

Lung Cancer

• Although not as dangerous as directly smoking, secondhand smoke has been shown to cause lung cancer in adults. In 1992, the United States Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 3,000 American adults develop lung cancer from ETS exposure annually.

Bronchitis and Pneumonia

• Every year, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that exposure to secondhand smoke contributes to 150,000 to 300,000 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia in young children under 18 months alone.

Fluid in the Middle Ear

• The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the incidence of fluid in the middle ear, which is one symptom of middle ear disease.

Worsening Asthma

• When children who are suffering from asthma are exposed to ETS, they can suffer more severe symptoms than they otherwise would. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 200,000 to 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition worsened by secondhand smoke annually.

Creating New Cases of Asthma

• In addition to worsening existing cases of asthma, studies have suggested that exposure to secondhand smoke contributes to new cases of asthma in children.