Secondhand smoke consists of smoke emitted from the ends of burning cigarettes and the smoke exhaled by smokers. Passive smoking describes the involuntary inhalation of secondhand smoke. The toxic chemicals found in secondhand smoke put your health in danger and increase your risk of serious illnesses and premature death. Babies and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke. Even a little secondhand smoke harms your health; no amount of passive smoking can be considered safe, says Smokefree.gov.
Cancer
At least 50 of the 4,000 chemicals found in secondhand smoke, including arsenic, benzene, beryllium, ethylene oxide, cadmium, chromium and nickel, cause cancer. If you live with a smoker, this increases your risk of lung cancer by up to 30 percent. In the United States, adult nonsmokers account for approximately 3,000 cases of lung cancer deaths each year, the National Cancer Institute notes. Research suggests passive smoking may also increase the risk of breast cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer and nasal sinus cavity cancer in adults, as well as childhood brain tumors, leukemia and lymphoma.
Heart Disease
Short-term exposure to secondhand smoke harms your heart and blood vessels. Long-term exposure seriously damages your cardiovascular system and increases your risk of an early death. Passive smokers increase their risk of heart disease by 25 percent to 30 percent, and approximately 46,000 heart disease deaths occur annually in the United States due to passive smoking, says the National Cancer Institute.
Respiratory Problems
Passive smoking irritates your airways, causing respiratory problems such as coughing, excess mucus production, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, wheezing and impaired lung function. Children exposed to secondhand smoke risk more colds and lung infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Children with asthma who smoke passively experience more frequent and severe asthma attacks. Secondhand smoke stunts children's lung development.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Passive smoking during pregnancy increases your risk of a low birthweight baby with weak lungs. Small babies generally experience more health problems than babies of normal weight. Babies encountering secondhand smoke from their mothers while in the womb have a greater risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome. The risk of sudden infant death syndrome also increases if babies are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth.
