Second
Hand Smoke
Many non-smokers are
exposed to other people's tobacco smoke against their will. This
smoke, known as environmental tobacco smoke or second hand smoke,
comes from two sources:
(1) the "maintream"
smoke, which is the smoke breathed in and out by the smoker;
(2) the "sidestream"
smoke, which is the smoke coming directly from the lit end of
a cigarette.
Most second hand smoke
comes from sidestream smoke. It is the most damaging to health.
It also has a higher concentration of some substances which cause
cancer. A non-smoking person exposed to either type of tobacco
smoke all day get the same effect as smoking 2-3 cigarettes. A
non-smoking adult also has:
-
a higher risk of
lung cancer. A U.S. study found that the risk of lung cancer increased
by 40 - 60 percent for people who had never smoked but were exposed
to tobacco smoke at work or outside the home.
-
a higher risk of
heart disease. The risk of death from heart disease increases
by approximately 30 percent for non-smokers living with a smoker.
As adults, we may have
some control over our exposure to tobacco smoke. Most children,
however, do not. Children of smokers are exposed to second hand
smoke often from birth, sometimes for 24 hours a day. These children
have a higher risk of:
-
respiratory problems
such as colds, coughs, bronchitis and pneumonia
-
fluid in the middle
ear, leading to ear infections
-
getting out of breath
more easily
-
asthma or making
asthma problems worse.
Children who are not
yet born are also at risk. If the mother smokes though pregnancy,
she increases the risk of spontaneous abortion, premature birth
and having a low birth weight baby. The child itself is at risk
for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and for developing behavioral
and respiratory problems. Even if the mother does not smoke, the
fetus is affected by tobacco smoke if someone smokes beside her.
No level is considered safe.
(Adapted from
material produced by the Muskoka Parry Sound Health Unit.)
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