Secondhand Smoking and Its Danger




It is a known fact that smoking is bad for one’s health. Various sources remind smokers every day about the danger they put themselves through. Every cigarette pack they take states that smoking causes lung cancer. However, millions of people choose to smoke regardless of all these warnings. But what about those who do not smoke, but have to breathe in the smoke? What about children who have no idea about harmful effect of the smoke and have to inhale the smoke from their parents’ cigarettes?

Secondhand smoke is cigarette smoke inhaled by non-smokers. It is also called passive smoking. There is not much said about it, however, it is as harmful as active smoking. When a non-smoker decides to join a smoker while the he or she is taking a cigarette, it is important to know that the smoke contains a great number of harmful elements which can cause cancer, heart diseases and other health problems.

As a rule smoke comes from two sources: from a burning cigarette and from a smoker who exhales the smoke. It has been discovered that it contains about 4000 toxic and carcinogenic substances. The primary enemy is nicotine which is a source of addiction. Besides, it clogs blood vessels making it hard for the blood to travel.

Environmental Protection Agency has listed secondhand smoking as a carcinogen, i.e. the substance that causes cancer or propagates its development. As much as a regular smoker, passive one can obtain lung, oral, cervical, bladder and other types of cancer. The main toxins which cause cancer are Arsenic, Polonium, Benzene and Cadmium.

Several other toxins are not less harmful: Ammonia is corrosive and harms lungs, hydrogen cyanide works as poison too. Carbon monoxide reacts with the oxygen and kills tissues. Methanol works as the poison for the whole body.

Passive smoking is especially harmful for children. They suffer the most without even knowing to what risk their parents bring them. A pregnant woman should not smoke or be at the presence of smoking people because it affects her fetus: the least possible side-effect is low birth weight, but she should not forget that even baby’s death can be a result of her smoking. Infants are very vulnerable to secondhand smoking too: it has been proven that one of the reasons for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is passive smoking.

When they get older children experience eye watering, eye irritation, coughing and asthma while inhaling the smoke. Sometimes ear infections and dental cavities have been noticed in children who were exposed to secondhand smoking a lot.

Usually adults think if they just smoke “to the side”, or when a driver smokes, he opens a window thinking this way the others will not inhale bad air. Unfortunately it is not so. Even cleaning air and ventilating buildings is not 100% effective. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the organization that sets standards on ventilation issues, reports that modern “ventilation technology cannot be relied on to completely control health risks from secondhand smoke exposure”. Besides, heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems can push the air through the whole building, so even in their bedroom children might inhale smoke while their parent smokes at the kitchen.

In order to protect your family and friends from secondhand smoking, consider following advice:

•    Do not smoke in your home and do not allow other people do so.
•    Chose smoke-free places: day-cares, schools, restaurants, etc.
•    Teach children to stay away from secondhand smoking and do not tolerate smoke in their presence.
•    Help those who are trying to quit.

Steven Cook

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Posted on April 16, 2009 
Filed Under Facts on Smoking, Smoking and Youth

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