Even if you never put a single cigarette to your lips, you may find yourself dealing with some of the health effects of tobacco use. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, passive smoke, otherwise known as secondhand smoke, has a higher concentration of some cancer-causing toxins than smoke inhaled while smoking. Unfortunately for those who live or work around a smoker, there is no safe exposure to passive smoke, and air purifiers and ventilators do not adequately address the health risks.
Lung Cancer
Passive smoking causes lung cancer. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, exposure to passive smoke increases your risk of developing lung cancer by up to 30 percent.
Heart Disease
Secondhand smoke leads to heart disease. Approximately 46,000 people die from passive smoke-related heart disease in the United States each year, says the American Cancer Society.
Breathing Problems
Secondhand smoke can cause bronchitis, coughing, chest pain, and reduced lung function in adults. Children, whose rapid breathing leads to greater smoke inhalation, are especially at risk for breathing problems. In children, passive smoke can retard lung growth and lead to coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
Other Cancers
There are links between secondhand smoke and different types of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, secondhand smoke may increase the risk of nasal sinus cancer in adults, and lymphoma and leukemia in children. Additionally, The American Cancer Society, says exposure to secondhand smoke may put people at risk of breast cancer, though a definitive link remains unproven.
Heart Attack
Secondhand smoke can increase the risk of heart attack in adults. Breathing even small amounts of passive smoke can damage the blood vessels, alter the consistency of blood platelets and lower heart rate variability, creating conditions that may lead to heart attack.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Secondhand smoke can cause sudden death in infants. The American Lung Association says that 430 infants exposed to passive smoke die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) each year.
Lung Infections in Children
The American Cancer Society says that up to 15,000 infants under the age of 18 months are hospitalized for bronchitis, pneumonia and other secondhand smoke-related lung infections each year.
Asthma
Secondhand smoke can cause asthma to develop in children not previously diagnosed with asthma, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Children with asthma experience more frequent and more severe attacks when exposed to passive smoke.
References
- American Cancer Society: Learn About Cancer: Secondhand Smoke
- Office of the Surgeon General: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- American Lung Association: Secondhand Smoke
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Asthma: Secondhand Smoke
- National Cancer Institute: Secondhand Smoke: Questions and Answers
