Second Hand Smoke 6/2010
What is Second Hand Smoke?
Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke, is a mixture of two forms of smoke from burning tobacco products:
Sidestream smoke: smoke that comes from a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar
Mainstream smoke: smoke that is exhaled by a smoker
When nonsmokers breathe in secondhand smoke it is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking. Nonsmokers breathing in secondhand smoke absorb nicotine, formaldehyde, cyanide, arsenic, carbon monoxide, and other compounds just as smokers do. The greater the exposure to secondhand smoke, the greater the level of these harmful chemicals in your body.
Why is Second Hand Smoke a problem?
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand smoke as a Group A carcinogen, which means secondhand smoke causes cancer in humans. More than 60 chemicals in secondhand smoke are known or suspected to cause cancer. Secondhand smoke can be harmful in many ways. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for:
An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are not current smokers
About 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmoking adults
About 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations
Increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million asthmatic children
The 1986 US Surgeon General's report on the health consequences of secondhand smoke reached 3 important conclusions:
Involuntary smoking causes disease, including cancer, in healthy nonsmokers.
When compared with the children of nonsmoking parents, children of parents who smoke have more frequent respiratory infections, more respiratory symptoms, and slower development of lung function as their lungs mature.
Separating smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space may reduce, but does not eliminate, the exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.
Where is Second Hand Smoke a problem?
There are no safe levels of secondhand smoke. There are 3 locations where you should be especially concerned about your exposure:
Your workplace: Secondhand smoke meets the criteria to be classified as a potential cancer-causing agent by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency responsible for health and safety regulations in the workplace. Because there are no known safe levels, they recommend that exposures to secondhand smoke be reduced to the lowest possible levels.
Public places: Everyone is vulnerable to secondhand smoke exposure in public places. Although some businesses are reluctant to ban smoking, there is no credible evidence that going smoke-free is bad for business. Public places where children go are a special area of concern.
Your home: Making your home smoke-free is perhaps one of the most important things you can do. Any family member can develop health problems related to secondhand smoke. We spend more time at home than anywhere else. A smoke-free home protects your family, your guests, and even your pets.
What can be done about Second Hand Smoke?
Local, state, and federal authorities can enact public policies to protect people from secondhand smoke and to protect children from tobacco-caused diseases and addiction. To learn how you can become involved in reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, contact your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or go online to: www.cancer.org .
Additional Resources:
American Lung Association
Telephone: 1-(800) 548-8252
Internet Address: www.lungusa.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS)
Internet Address: www.cdc.gov/tobacco/
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Information Service
Internet Address: www.cancer.gov
Do you want to quit smoking?
By phone, you can call the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588 to get the contact information for smoking cessation resources in your area. You can search for your local smoking cessation resources in the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine online database.