Secondhand Smoke ...

Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished and, according to the American Lung Association, can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections and asthma.

The following facts about secondhand smoke come from the American Lung Association:

  • Secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a known cause of cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).
  • Secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers in the U.S. each year.
  • A study found that nonsmokers exposed to environmental smoke were 25 percent more likely to have coronary heart diseases compared to nonsmokers not exposed to smoke.
  • Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to young children. Second smoke is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations each year. It also causes between 1,900 and 2,700 sudden infant death syndrome deaths in the U.S. annually.

- Information obtained from American Lung Association.

 

Secondhand smoke and children

Although secondhand smoke is dangerous to everyone, fetuses, infants and children are at most risk. This is because it can damage developing organs, such as the lungs and brain.

The fetus and newborn: Some studies suggest that smoking during pregnancy causes birth defects such as cleft lip or palate. Smoking mothers produce less milk and their babies have a lower birth weight. Maternal smoking also is associated with neonatal death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the major cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age.

Children's lungs and respiratory tracts: Exposure to secondhand smoke decreases lung efficiency and impairs lung function in children of all ages. It increases both the frequency and severity of childhood asthma. Secondhand smoke can aggravate sinusitis, rhinitis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic respiratory problems such as cough and postnasal drip. In children under two years of age exposure increases the likelihood of bronchitis and pneumonia. Children of parents who smoke half a pack a day or more are at nearly double the risk of hospitalization for a respiratory illness.

The ears: Exposure to secondhand smoke increases both the number of ear infections a child will experience, and the duration of the illness. Inhaled smoke irritates the eustachian tube, which connects the back of the nose with the middle ear. This causes swelling and obstruction which interferes with pressure equalization in the middle ear, leading to pain, fluid and infection. Ear infections are the most common cause of children's hearing loss.

The brain: Children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are more likely to suffer behavioral problems such as hyperactivity than children of non-smoking mothers. Modest impairment in school performance and intellectual achievement have also been demonstrated.

- Information obtained from American Academy of Otolaryngology.