Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

Posted: March 1, 2004

Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking. In fact, one in every five deaths in the United States is smoking related. Every year, smoking kills more than 276,000 men and 142,000 women.

Studies also show that:

• Men who smoke increase their risk of death from lung cancer by more than 22 times and from bronchitis and emphysema by nearly 10 times.
• Women who smoke increase their risk of dying from lung cancer by nearly 12 times and the risk of dying from bronchitis and emphysema by more than 10 times.
• Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women.
• Every year in the United States, premature deaths from smoking rob more than five million years from the potential life span of those who have died.
• Annually, exposure to secondhand smoke (or environmental tobacco smoke) causes an estimated 3,000 deaths from lung cancer among American adults. Scientific studies also link secondhand smoke with heart disease.

Secondhand smoke in your home
We spend more time in our homes than anywhere else. So the thought of cancer-causing chemicals circulating throughout our houses and apartments can be quite unsettling. Yet, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, that is exactly what happens when someone lights a cigarette in your home.

Those most affected by secondhand smoke are children. Because their bodies are still developing, exposure to the poisons in secondhand smoke puts children in danger of severe respiratory diseases and can hinder the growth of their lungs. On top of that, the effects can last a lifetime.

Ventilation systems in homes cannot filter and circulate air well enough to eliminate secondhand smoke. Blowing smoke away from children, going into another room to smoke, or opening a window may help reduce children’s exposure but will not protect them from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Just what is secondhand smoke?
Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar, and the smoke that is exhaled from the lungs of the smoker.
Secondhand smoke is also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS); exposure to secondhand smoke is often called involuntary smoking or passive smoking.

Why should parents be concerned about secondhand smoke?
Effect on Lungs... Children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis, and other lung diseases.
Ear Infections... Children who breathe secondhand smoke can have more ear infections.
Asthma... Children who breathe secondhand smoke can have more asthma attacks and the episodes can be more severe.
Secondhand smoke may also cause thousands of healthy children to develop asthma each year. Infants and very young children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to get lung infections, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations each year.

What can I do to reduce children's health risks from secondhand smoke?

• Choose not to smoke in your home and don't permit others to do so.
• Choose not to smoke if children are present, especially infants and toddlers. They are particularly susceptible to the effects of passive smoking.
• Don't allow baby-sitters or others who work in your home to smoke in the house or near your children.
• Choose not to smoke in your car.

It may feel awkward at first to tell people not to smoke in your home—no one wants to make guests uncomfortable—but if you simply explain the facts about secondhand smoke, they should understand completely. Tell them that for the sake of your family’s health, you simply cannot allow smoking in your home. Have gum or mints available as an alternative to lighting up. If visitors absolutely must smoke, tell them they can do so outside.

If someone in your household smokes, be sympathetic and understanding—but encourage him or her to quit. Let that person know that cigarette smoke affects everyone, not just the smoker. Let them know you care and you want to help. Again, if someone absolutely must smoke, ask that person to do so outside.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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