Why Quit Smoking?

Second-hand smoke or passive smoke is medically known as environmental tobacco smoke. Simply put, it is the smoke that may harm nonsmokers. There are two sources of secondhand smoke: mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke. Mainstream smoke comes from the smoke exhaled by a smoker while sidestream comes from the smoke emitted by a lighted tobacco product.

The impact of second-hand smoke on a person’s health is said to be worse than that on the smoker himself. Nicotine and other toxins contained in tobacco products remain airborne for hours. Like what most experts say, it is difficult to assume that a certain level of secondhand smoke is safe. Tobacco products contain up to 4,000 chemicals, 250 of which are toxins, 60 of which are suspected to cause cancer. Because of that, secondhand smoke is now deemed as a human carcinogen.

Secondhand smoke also affects the heart and blood circulation once nicotine is absorbed in the bloodstream. Approximately 35,000 non-smokers died from heart diseases caused by secondhand smoke in their own household. At the same time, 3,000 non-smoking adults also died due to secondhand smoke. Many non-smokers develop breathing problems, coughing and wheezing, chest pain and reduced lung function without other possible causes other than secondhand smoke.

Children also harshly suffer from the impact of second-hand smoke. It is reported that 150,000 to 300,000 children under 19 months of age suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis and other lung infections. This resulted to 7,500 to 15,000 child hospitalizations every year. Incidents of asthma attacks caused by secondhand smoke increased from 200,000 to 1 million while 750,000 children are now suffering with middle ear infection.

Secondhand smoke affects every living organism it touches. Smoking at home endangers adults, children and pets alike. Even unborn children are already suffering from the hazards of secondhand smoke exposed to by pregnant women.