What is secondhand smoke?
Secondhand smoke or environmental smoke refers to the smoke that a smoker exhales from his mouth after taking a puff as well as the smoke that is given out by the burning end of a cigarette. It is known to be extremely toxic. People exposed to this smoke are called passive smokers. It is known to be the cause of a large number of diseases in people exposed to secondhand smoke due to others smoking close to them.
Health effects of secondhand smoke
Secondhand smoke is known to contain over four thousand chemicals, most of them highly toxic. More than sixty of them are proven to be carcinogens. They can cause a large number of ailments and diseases in those exposed to this smoke.
Some common health effects
- It can cause cancers of various kinds, including lung cancer, cervical cancer, nasal cavity cancer , breast cancer and bladder cancer, among others.
- It can increase blood pressure.
- It can cause heart diseases, increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- It can cause narrowing and hardening of arteries, reducing supply of blood as well as nutrients and oxygen to various parts of the body, including brain.
- It can lead to low birth weight in children of mothers exposed to secondhand smoke.
- It can lead to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
- It can cause acute and chronic respiratory problems in adults as well as children.
- It can lead to lung conditions like asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.
- It can lead to nasal and eye irritation as well as cavities in teeth, especially in children.
- It can cause premature death in children as well as adults.
These are just some of the serious health effects that environmental smoke has on those exposed to it. This is the reason why most states have bans on lighting up in public places. This is also a reason why most people are advised to quit smoking tobacco as soon as possible.
