Second-hand smoke – ignored implications
On an average 5.5
minute life is lost with each cigarette smoked. Smokers have ten times risk of
acquiring lung cancer, two times risk of myocardial infarction and six times
risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Economic costs of smoking
should not be forgotten as for purchase of cigarettes, direct medical care cost
because of smoking and indirect cost as low productivity, work day loss, excess
morbidity, premature death, risk of fire at home or work place. (1)
There are two
types of tobacco smoke, mainstream smoke which is directly inhaled by the mouth
of a smoker and side stream smoke or second-hand smoke or passive smoking which
comes from burning tip of cigarette mixed with surrounded air. Second-hand
smoke is sometimes referred to environmental tobacco smoke. It is a combination
of the smoke exhaled by a smoker and the smoke that comes from the end of a
burning cigarette. When someone breathes in this smoke, it is often referred to
as passive smoking. (2)
Non-Smokers are
frequently exposed to smoke when someone nearby is smoking, which exposed the
nonsmokers to health hazards. Non-smokers can be exposed to second-hand smoke
in public places, such as restaurants, offices, shopping centers, public transportation,
cars, parks, schools, and daycare centers etc. If parents or elderly siblings
smoke at home, children are frequently exposed and children are especially
sensitive to the toxins in second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke is as toxic as
main stream smoke, although people inhale it in more diluted form. It contains
carbon monoxide, nitrosamines and ammonia. Second-hand smoke come from all form
of smoking e.g. Cigarette, cigar, pipes or water pipe (Shisha) etc. Tobacco
smoke has more than 4,000 chemical compounds, at least 250 are known to cause
diseases.
Second-hand smoke
causes lung cancer in adults who have never smoked. Non-smokers who are exposed
to second-hand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing lung
cancer by 20–30%. Second-hand smoke causes more than 7,300 lung cancer deaths
among U.S. nonsmokers each year. As with active smoking, the longer the
duration and the higher the level of exposure to second-hand smoke, the greater
the risk of developing lung cancer. (4)
Second-hand smoke causes numerous health
problems in infants and children, including more frequent and severe asthma
attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death
syndrome. Some of the health conditions caused by second-hand smoke in adults
include coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. (1, 4)
Children are
particularly at risk for the effects of second-hand smoke because their bodies
are still growing and they breathe at a faster rate than adults. A study
revealed that second-hand smoke/passive smoking among children leads to acute
respiratory illness in children as pneumonia, bronchitis, middle ear problem,
cough & wheeze. Similarly passive smoking among adults leads to eye
irritation (69% cases), headaches (33% cases), nasal symptoms (33% cases),
cough and allergic attacks (33% cases). (6)
Exposure to
second-hand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system
and can cause coronary heart disease and stroke: (2, 4, 5)
Second-hand smoke causes
nearly 34,000 premature deaths from heart disease each year in the United
States among nonsmokers. (4)
Non-smokers who
are exposed to second-hand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of
developing heart disease by 25–30%. (1)
Second-hand smoke
increases the risk for stroke by 20−30%. (4)
Second-hand smoke
exposure causes more than 8,000 deaths from stroke annually. (4)
Breathing
second-hand smoke can have immediate adverse effects on your blood and blood
vessels, increasing the risk of having a heart attack. (2, 3, 4)
Breathing
second-hand smoke interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood,
and vascular systems in ways that increase the risk of having a heart attack.
Even brief
exposure to second-hand smoke can damage the lining of blood vessels and cause
platelets to become stickier. These changes can cause a deadly heart attack.
People who
already have heart disease are at especially high risk of suffering adverse
effects from breathing second-hand smoke and should take special precautions to
avoid even brief exposures.
Preventive
strategies includes local, state, and federal authorities to enact public
policies to protect people from second-hand smoke and protect children from
tobacco-related diseases. One should not wait for the government to act. Even
if you smoke, you can decide to make your home and car smoke-free. This makes
breathing safer and more enjoyable for children and other family members. One
should not smoke in the home or around the young children.
Parents can help
protect their children from second-hand smoke by taking the following actions:
(7)
Do not allow
anyone to smoke anywhere in your home.
Do not allow
anyone to smoke in car, even with the window down.
Make sure children’s schools are
tobacco-free.
If your state still allows smoking in public areas, look for
restaurants and other places that do not allow smoking.
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