What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke is a combination of poisonous gases, liquids, and breathable particles that are harmful to our health.  It is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar (side stream smoke), and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers (mainstream smoke).  It contains more than 4,000 substances, and of those 4,000, 40 are known to cause cancer in humans and animals. 

 Why are children the most vulnerable population?

Secondhand smoke affects the developing lungs of young children, which are more delicate than adults, and children take in more air than adults do.  Their immune system is less protective, and they have a higher metabolism and can absorb higher amounts of smoke than adults do.  Secondhand smoke increases the chance of sudden infant death syndrome in children.

If you smoke around children, they smoke too.  Thousands of children each year will have to go to the hospital because of secondhand smoke.

What are the health implications of secondhand smoke?

·          Causes irritation of the eye, nose, and throat

·          Irritates the lungs causing coughing, excessive phlegm, and chest discomfort

·          Causes headaches, chest pains, nausea, and dizziness

·          Increases heart rate and blood pressure

·          Reduces ability to take in and use oxygen

·          Causes and increased risk of heart disease and stroke, it can increase the chance of lung cancer by 30 percent.

·          Unborn babies exposed to second hand smoke are more likely to have low birth weights.

·          Children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis, and other lung diseases.

·          Children who breathe in secondhand smoke are more likely to develop asthma, and are more likely to have more asthma attacks.

 Interesting facts about secondhand smoke!

·          Two thirds of smoke from a cigarette is not inhaled by the smoker, but enters the air around the smoker.

·          Secondhand smoke has at least twice the nicotine and tar as the smoke inhaled by the smoker.

·          Regular exposure to secondhand smoke increases the chances of contracting lung disease by 25 percent and heart disease by 10 percent.

·          2.4 million Canadian homes with children under 12 years of age report regular exposure to secondhand smoke.

·          More than 1,000 non-smokers will die this year in Canada due to secondhand smoke – there will be over 300 lung cancer deaths, and at least 700 deaths from coronary heart disease.

·          Exposure to secondhand smoke for as little as 8 to 20 minutes causes physical reactions linked to heart and stroke disease.

·          More than three times as many infants die from secondhand smoke-related Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as from child abuse or homicide.

·          Once a cigarette, pipe, or cigar is out, secondhand smoke remains in the environment and is still toxic.

·          Cigarettes burns for approximately 12 minutes, but smokers usually only inhale seconds. 

·          27 percent of children ages 0-17 years are exposed to secondhand smoke in homes throughout our province.

·          Second hand smoke is ten times more harmful than the smoke inhaled by a smoker.

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