Subscribe To This Site

Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is a mixture of two forms of smoke that come from burning tobacco:

sidestream smoke which comes from the end of a lit cigarette, pipe or cigar.
mainstream smoke which is the smoke that is exhaled by a smoker.

There are higher concentrations of toxins in sidestream smoke than in mainstream smoke.

It is also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke. Non-smokers who breathe in ETS take in nicotine and all the other toxic chemicals that are in a cigarette just as a smoker does. The more smoke you are exposed to – the higher the level of harmful chemicals in your body.

Effects of Secondhand Smoke

Effects on Fetuses and Newborns

Some of the effects would include; cleft palate, low birth weight and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Effects on Children:

All the child’s organs are in the developmental stage therefore, breathing in the smoke impairs the development of their lungs and brains.
Children tend to develop asthma with longer exposures
Sinusitis, cystic fibrosis, chronic respiratory disease also worsens with exposure.
150,000 – 300,000 lung infections (pneumonia and bronchitis) are reported annually.
there is a increase in the number and severity of asthma attacks of kids that already have asthma (200,000 -1,000,000).
750,000 children get middle ear infections with exposure to the smoke.

Short Term Effects

There are numerous short term secondhand smoke effects which can include any of the following:

cough
nausea
headache
eye irritation
sore throat
dizziness and
difficulty breathing in those that already have asthma.

Long Term Effects

With prolonged exposure, non-smokers can develop the same conditions as those of a smoker including:

lung, breast and renal cell cancer(3,400 deaths from lung cancer alone)
ischemic heart disease
harmful effects on their cardiovascular systems which increases the risk of heart attacks(approximately 46,000 deaths from heart disease of those who live with smokers)
Cognitive impairment and dementia in people over 50 years of age.

Lastly, passive smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the US. So remember there are no safe levels of smoke – even low levels can be harmful. The only way to protect non-smokers is to completely eliminate smoking from indoors.

Return to Top
Chemicals in Cigarettes
Leave Secondhand Smoke and Return Home

Copyright CTLaserTherapy.com 2009-2010

Special - up to $100 off. Book now!
I will come to your home or business (up to 25 miles) at no additonal cost!

SBI!

Ash Tray Hand

Free Download !

The Quit Smoking Journal

What's Your Experience with Quitting?

Have you ever attempted to quit smoking? Whether you were successful or not, share your story.

Be inspired by the stories of others!

CT Laser Therapy

Please contact us to schedule an appointment or to ask a question!

Danbury, Connecticut
1-888-6TO-QUIT