Passive smoking, better known as secondhand smoke, occurs as a result of the inhalation of pollutants in the air from tobacco products. According to the American Lung Association, smoke emitted from tobacco contains about 4,000 toxic chemicals. Of these, 40 are known to be linked to cancer (carcinogenic). This means that each time someone lights up a cigarette, poisonous chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide are released into the air. As smokers inhale these poisonous substances directly, nonsmokers do so in an indirect manner, as a result of secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke is a combination of two types of smoke -- mainstream smoke, which is actually exhaled from the person who is smoking, and sidestream smoke, which is emitted from the end of a burning cigarette. Both types contain the same toxic carcinogens.
Groups at Risk for Secondhand Smoke-Related Problems
Although everyone exposed to secondhand smoke is at risk, certain groups of people are at higher risk for developing severe problems from secondhand smoke. This includes unborn babies and newborns, children and teens, and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions, including those with COPD. The Surgeon General and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend that no one smoke when young people are present.Babies and Newborns
When a woman smokes during pregnancy, the unborn child receives less oxygen and develops an increased level of carbon monoxide in his or her bloodstream. This can lead to a higher incidence of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Babies exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb are also at risk for low birth weight and other complications. Additionally, there is a definite connection between smoking during pregnancy and SIDS. In fact, infants of mothers who smoke are more than two times likely to die of SIDS than children of non-smokers.
Children and Teens
Children have smaller airways and are more sensitive to secondhand smoke than adults. When a child is exposed to secondhand smoke, his ability to breathe becomes impaired, as the airways become inflamed and filled with mucus. This leaves them more susceptible to respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing, and often leads to respiratory infection.
Secondhand smoke is associated with 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations of infants and toddlers annually, and leads to 136 to 212 deaths in children 18 months of age or younger each year. Furthermore, because secondhand smoke irritates the airways of the lungs, it is a powerful trigger for children who have asthma, contributing to 8,000 to 26,000 new cases each year in children.
Children and teens of parents who smoke not only develop more frequent respiratory infections but have more difficulty recovering from them. Secondhand smoke is also known to be associated with middle ear infection, pneumonia and bronchitis in children.
Teenage smoking is a major health concern in our nation. It is not uncommon that teenagers of parents who smoke become smokers themselves. Teens are not only unaware of how addictive smoking is, but they can easily become addicted in a short period of time.
Adults
Secondhand smoke is a major respiratory irritant, and it can both cause and worsen respiratory conditions. It acts as a major trigger for asthma; just the odor of smoke on clothing or skin being enough to trigger asthma symptoms.
Declared by the EPA as a human lung carcinogen, secondhand smoke is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually in American nonsmokers. Secondhand smoke also causes approximately 46,000 heart disease deaths each year, and has been linked to stroke and hardening or the arteries, although further studies are needed to confirm this link.
Those with COPD are particularly at risk, often developing an increased incidence of shortness of breath, coughing and mucus production. It is extremely important if you have COPD that you not only quit smoking, but avoid secondhand smoke as well.
How to Avoid Secondhand Smoke
The following steps can be taken in an effort to avoid secondhand smoke:- Never allow anyone to smoke inside your home, office or car. Advise guests and family members, if they must, to smoke outside.
- Explain your “smoke-free home” policy to everyone who visits. Do not put out ashtrays in your home.
- Do not frequent places where people are smoking. If you must be in an area where public smoking is going on, sit or stand in the non-smoking section of that area.
- If family members smoke, suggest that they quit.
- If you or a loved one is having difficulty quitting, talk to your doctor or nurse about getting help. Nicotine replacement therapy and other medications are available and can increase your chances of successfully quitting.
- Join, or suggest your loved one join, a stop smoking support group. The About.com Quit Smoking Forum is a great place to start.
Although smoke-free ordinances exist in many cities across the country, more needs to be done to protect the health of all people, especially children. Continuing education in our schools and in the workplace can help shed light on this sensitive subject. Every individual is entitled to breathe clean, fresh air, free from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
For tips on how to quit smoking, stop by my latest article, "10 Tips on How to Quit Smoking".
Sources:
American Lung Association “Facts About Secondhand Smoke” Published Pamplet, 2001.
National Jewish Medical and Research Center, 2008. http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/wellness/smoking/secondhand.aspx
