-
Second-hand smoke or
"environmental tobacco smoke" is the mixture
of the smoke given off the burning end of a
cigarette, pipe or cigar and inhaled by
another - the passive smoker, an involuntary
smoker
-
Second-hand smoke causes 3000
lung cancer deaths annually in NON-smokers.
Second-hand smoke has been classified as a
Group A carcinogen. Chemicals like arsenic
and benzene are also in the category
-
Children of smokers are more
likely to have chest infections like
bronchitits and pneumonia (150 to 300
thousands cases yearly in kids under 18
months).
-
Children who breath
second-hand smoke have 40% higher rate of
ear infections and when they get ear
infections - they last nearly one and a half
times longer.
-
Second-hand smoke is a risk
for children in developing asthma, and those
who do have asthma have more asthma attacks
-
Second-hand smoke causes a
30% increase in the risk of heart disease in
non-smokers.
-
One study at the University
of Penn>
-
One study at the University
of Pennsylvania showed that mothers who
smoked at least 10 cigarettes a day cause
their children under 5 to have nicotine and
other cancer causing chemicals in their
blood stream.
-
It is not easy to avoid
second-hand smoke--it's estimated that 1 out
of 4 people in the United States smokes.
-
Non-fatal effects of
second-hand smoke include coughing, burning
eyes, sore throat, and headache--all your
body's reaction to exposure to the smoke
toxins
and your body's way of saying second-hand
smoke is dangerous.
li>
