Exposure to the toxins in secondhand smoke can cause or contribute to health problems from heart and lung disease to various cancers. Secondhand smoking can cause chronic coughing, phlegm and wheezing, as well as eye and nose irritation.
It has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a “known human carcinogen.” There a several terms that relate to secondhand smoke including passive smoking, involuntary smoking or environmental tobacco smoke.
Secondhand smoke includes the smoke that the smoker exhales (mainstream smoke) and the smoke that comes directly from the burning tobacco product (sidestream smoke). There are at least 50 carcinogens (chemicals that are known to cause cancer) in secondhand smoke.
Some of those chemicals include:
- Benzene.
- Carbon Monoxide.
- Chromium.
- Cyanide.
- Formaldehyde.
- Lead.
- Nickel.
- Polonium.
Research has shown that 50 percent to 75 percent of children in the U.S. have detectable levels of cotinine (the breakdown product of nicotine) in their blood, so even children who do not live with smokers may be at risk for adverse effects of secondhand smoke. In addition to risk of developing pneumonia and respiratory infections, babies exposed to secondhand smoke increase the risk of developing asthma as a child.
Secondhand smoke also puts children at risk for other health problems including:
- Low birth weight (exposure to second hand smoke during pregnancy increases risk of low birth weight).
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (secondhand smoke increases risk of SIDS, with exposure during pregnancy or after birth).
- Infections (about 750,000 middle ear infections were estimated each year as direct result of children living with smokers).
There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. Even very low levels could be harmful, therefore avoid secondhand smoke as much as possible.
