Effects of Secondhand Smoke on Health

WHAT IS SECONDHAND SMOKE?

Smoking not only adversely affects the overall health of the smoker, but it is harmful to nonsmoker alike. Secondhand smoke is categorized into two main groups: mainstream smoke and side stream smoke. Mainstream smoke is the smoke inhaled and exhaled by a smoker; side stream smoke is the smoke given off from the tip of a burning cigarette.

A recent study has shown that more than 40,000 nonsmoking people had died as result of inhaling secondhand smoke in the United States alone. Even worse, about 2% of those are infants. This fact is by no means difficult to understand since it is known that cigarette smoke are made up of 7000 substances of which 250 are considered hazardous and about 70 are carcinogenic.

HEALTH EFFECTS

Exposure to secondhand smoke may cause various kinds of life threatening diseases such as cancer, heart diseases and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Cancer, a hard to cure disease as result of uncontrolled proliferation of the cell, is a serious health consequence of secondhand smoke. Cancer of the lung and respiratory tracts are one of the causes of death. But cancer may also occur in organs that are not part of the respiratory system such as kidney, brain and stomach.

Scientists have found that there is a positive correlation between exposure to secondhand smoke and cancer disease. In other words, the longer a person inhales secondhand smoke, the more likely he or she will develop cancer.

SIDS, unexplained and unexpected death of infant under 1 year old, is another fatal outcome of secondhand smoke. The threat of SIDS is greater in pregnant women who smoke and in infants who are subjected to secondhand smoke. SIDS is believed to be the consequence of malfunctioning of the brain that controls breathing. In comparison to infants who died of other reasons, infants who died of SIDS were proven to have higher concentration of nicotine in their body.

Researches have shown a number of way whereby secondhand smoke can lead to heart diseases.  Platelet, metabolically active cells that contain no nucleus in the blood, can be activated after exposure to secondhand smoke. This triggers a series of reactions that lead to blood clot formation, which can cause damages to arteries and ultimately causes heart diseases. Additionally, secondhand smoke can negatively affect blood vessels like increasing their stiffness and decreasing their ability to dilate.

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Having known the effects of secondhand smoke, it is imperative that we take measures to avoid it. Start at home and create a nonsmoking environment. Worth mentioning that setting aside a place for smoking may not be effective because the smoke may travel to other rooms via the ventilation system. When going out, we should choose 100% free smoking site if possible. We should also be cognizant about smoking regulations and report if violation takes place.

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