Passive smoking, tobacco smoke pollution, environmental tobacco smoke. No matter what you call it, it's all the same--secondhand smoke. The National Institutes of Health states that there are more than 50 substances, such as arsenic, benzene (common chemical found in gasoline) and vinyl chloride in secondhand smoke that lead to a multitude of health problems for those exposed to it. Knowing the threat this pollution poses may just change your mind about lighting up in front of a non-smoker.
Childhood Development
The doctors at the Mayo Clinic state that infants and children who are exposed to secondhand smoke may face problems with growth and development. The danger is at its greatest for children 5 years old and younger because they are still developing. A child who spends one hour in a smoke-filled room has inhaled the equivalent of 10 cigarettes.
Mothers who are exposed to secondhand smoke, or who continue smoking through pregnancy, increase the likelihood that the newborn will be below a healthy birth weight. These newborns are also at greater risk for learning disabilities and cerebral palsy. They may also be victims of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Respiratory Complications and Infections
Cigarette smoke does not just affect a child's growth and development, it also places the child at risk for asthma and lower-respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Lung function is also depleted, while ear infections are more common in children exposed to secondhand smoke.
Increased Risk of Heart Disease
The National Cancer Society contributes an increase in heart disease to secondhand smoke by as much as 30 percent. The moment smoke is inhaled, it wreaks havoc with the person's heart and blood vessels. It has also been linked to a greater incidence of stroke and hardened arteries. Each year, 46,000 deaths from heart disease are attributed to secondhand smoke.
Various Types of Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the Surgeon General and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have all labeled secondhand smoke as a human cancer-causing agent.
Lung cancer is one of the many types of cancer that may develop from the inhalation of secondhand smoke. It is estimated that more than 3,000 non-smokers die from lung cancer each year. The Surgeon General says that non-smokers who live with a smoker are 20 to 30 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers who do not.
Cancer of the lungs is not the only cancer that may develop as a result of secondhand-smoke exposure. Nasal cavity and breast cancer have also been linked to this pollutant, as well as brain tumors and leukemia in children.
