Second-Hand Smoke

“Smoking is injurious to health”

“Smoking in public places is prohibited”

A very common slogan that we all get to see and hear in every public place. Before the commencement of every movie, we see an anti-smoking advertisement. We all have always addressed the health issue that arise in the smoker when he inhales the smoke from the burning of the tobacco leaves in the cigarettes. The smoke that arises from the tobacco leaves are dangerous not only to the smoker but also to the people around the smoker. This is known as “Second-Hand Smoke” or “Environmental Tobacco Smoke” or as commonly as we know it is “Passive Smoking”.

When a person smokes a cigarette or roll up or a cigar, only a little of the smoke goes into the person the rest is left lingering in the air surrounding the person. The people around the smoker end up inhaling the smoke and are exposed to the carcinogens present in them.

Second-Hand Smoke is a mixture of 2 types of smokes:

●Mainstream smoke: The smoke that is exhaled by the smoker.
●Sidestream Smoke: This is the smoke that comes from the burning of the tobacco ie, it comes from the lighted end of the cigarettes or the pipe or cigar. This smoke contains more cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) and are more dangerous to the inhaler.

When non-smokers inhale the second-hand smoke it is known as “Passive Smoking” or “Involuntary Smoking”. The non-smokers inhale the smoke just like how the smokers do and it has the same effect on them as it does on the smokers. The more SHS you inhale the higher effects of these chemicals in the body of the inhaler.

People who breathe in the second-hand smoke are exposed to diseases such as lung cancer and heart problems. Pregnant women who are exposed to this smoke for a long time are at a risk for premature birth and the baby is at risk to be born still or have a low birth weight. And children who are also exposed to the smoke are at a risk to develop asthma, breathing problems and several allergies.

Second-Hand Smoke is known to cause Cancer

Second-Hand Smoke is known to contain more than 7000 chemicals and atleast70 chemicals that are known carcinogens. SHS is known to cause lung cancer in people who have never smoked in their life.

In children, it is possibly known to cause:
●Lymphoma
●Luekemia
●Liver Cancer
●Brain Tumors

Second-Hand smoke is known to cause many other disorders in people who have been exposed to the smoke for a prolonged time period. It affects the person’s blood vessels, it increases the risk of having a heart attack and stroke in non-smokers. Some studies have shown enough proof to link SHS to depression.

Effects of SHS on Children:

Young children are at the maximum risk for SHS and they are the least able to avoid it. They are most exposed at home when their parents smoke in front of them.

Children whose parents smoke:
●Get sick often
●Have lung problems
●Have ear infections
●Have symptoms of breathing issues
There is no safe level of exposure to Second-Hand smoke. The only way to protect the people around the smoker is by not smoking at all. And if that is not possible, then it is important to reduce or nullify the exposure of the people around them to the Second-Hand smoke.