School programs and national public service announcements have made clear that smoking cigarettes is a major health hazard. You may not realize, however, that just being in the presence of someone who is smoking can seriously affect your health, from the time you're a baby through adulthood. In fact, secondhand smoke puts you at risk for developing many of the same medical problems that smokers face, including cancer and cardiovascular conditions.
Exposure to Dangerous Chemicals
Breathing secondhand smoke exposes you to thousands of toxins. At least 250 are harmful to your body, according to the National Cancer Institute. Ammonia, nicotine, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide are just a few. Several of these toxic chemicals can cause cancer, including arsenic, benzene, nickel and vinyl chloride. Other toxins found in cigarette smoke are suspected to be carcinogenic as well, such as formaldehyde. Cotinine, a chemical resulting from the breakdown of nicotine, is also found in the body fluids of non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. In fact, the American Cancer Society, or ACS, reports that 50 to 75 percent of children have cotinine in their blood.
Cancer Risk
Exposure to secondhand smoke doesn't just increase your risk of developing cancer; it is the direct cause of thousands of cancer deaths in the United States each year. About 3,000 non-smokers die of lung cancer annually as a result of secondhand smoke, according to the National Cancer Institute. Secondhand smoke exposure may also increase the risk of breast cancer. While the relationship between passive smoke and this form of cancer is still unclear as of 2010, organizations such as California's Environmental Protection Agency have acknowledged a possible link.
Heart & Lung Conditions
In addition to lung cancer, passive smoke can affect your lung function in other ways. Respiratory infections, asthma attacks, chest discomfort and coughing with mucus are all associated with secondhand smoke. In addition, your children are at risk for serious health complications from exposure --- 50,000 to 300,000 cases of lung infections in babies are attributed to passive smoke each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Your risk of developing heart disease increases as a result of secondhand smoke as well. The ACS reports that an estimated 46,000 non-smokers who live with smokers die of heart disease annually.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Babies exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report released in 2006. SIDS is the top cause of death of healthy infants in the United States. The toxins in the smoke may affect the brain, causing dysfunction in babies' breathing regulation. The Department of Health and Human Services report reveals that infants who die of SIDS have more nicotine and cotinine in their bodies than infants who die from other causes.
