Secondhand smoke, otherwise known as passive or environmental smoke, is dangerous to nonsmokers and smokers alike. If you smoke, you're not only inhaling the smoke through a cigarette filter but you're also breathing in the smoke around you. Nonsmokers are also adversely affected when they breathe in secondhand smoke. According to the American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke is a carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent. Cigarette smoke contains at least 60 different types of cancer-causing chemicals.
Risk of Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, breathing in secondhand smoke may cause lung cancer. The numbers speak for themselves. Every year, 3,400 nonsmokers die from lung cancer due to secondhand smoke. The American Lung Association reports that secondhand smoke contains ingredients such as formaldehyde and arsenic ammonia, which are known to cause cancer. A 2006 report by the Surgeon General stated that there is "suggestive but not yet sufficient" evidence that smoking may also cause breast cancer; the potential link between the two is still being researched.
Risk of Heart Disease
Secondhand smoke is responsible for an increased risk of heart disease. An annual 46,000 nonsmokers die from heart disease because of secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke for even a short amount of time can possibly increase the risk of a heart attack or a stroke, according to the American Lung Association. Furthermore, even short-term exposure to secondhand smoke has a detrimental effect on your circulatory system. It causes sticky platelets and damage to the lining of blood vessels, which also increases the likelihood of a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association.
Breathing Difficulties
Exposure to secondhand smoke causes breathing difficulties, an increased risk of asthma, reduced lung capacity, a sore throat, heavier mucous production and coughing, according to the American Cancer Society. If you already have a breathing problem, being around people who smoke can intensify your condition. Additionally, children who breathe in secondhand smoke not only have a slower lung growth rate but also have a higher chance of developing a lung infection, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.
