Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Fact Sheet from 2006 defines secondhand smoke as “a complex mixture of gases and particles that includes smoke from the burning cigarette, cigar, or pipe tip (sidestream smoke) and exhaled mainstream smoke.” The fact sheet suggests that secondhand smoke causes the negative of effect of increasing the risk of heart disease by 25-30% and lung cancer by 20-30% in nonsmoking adults. Children also do not have immunity from secondhand smoke. Exposure leads to respiratory system problems including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute problems, ear problems, and asthma. (CDC, 2006)
According to the 2006 Surgeon General’s Report on The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, “there is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure” (CDC, 2007). Exposure to second-hand smoke early in life, including before birth, has health consequences that have lifelong implications. During pregnancy and the early postnatal period, critical times for lung development, secondhand smoke exposure causes premature death of alveolar cells which have been shown to be a predisposition factor in the development of childhood respiratory problems (Zhong, et al. 2006). Children whose mothers were expose to secondhand smoke during pregnancy have shown reduced scores on tests of cognitive development at age two, relative to children who were raised in smoke-free homes. Furthermore, children exposed to second-hand smoke during pregnancy are approximately twice as likely to have developmental scores which indicate developmental delay (NIH 2004). However, the risk of developmental health problems does not decrease as a child ages. According to a new study published by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), individuals who are 18 years of age or younger and live with one or more smokers when compared with living with two or more smokers were more than twice as likely to suffer from chronic dry cough as adults and is associated with a 27% increased risk of respiratory-illness-related school absences compared to (75%) of such absences, relatively (NIH, 2005). Approximately 9 million children in the U.S. suffer from asthma, which causes millions of lost work hours for parents who must stay home from work to care for them. Although compelling research has indicated treatment methods that impact the health conditions developed due to exposure to second hand smoke, these treatments are only mildly effective. Nothing is as effective as prevention.
Although secondhand smoke exposure has dropped throughout the years, it still causes premature death in both children and nonsmoking adults. Exposure to secondhand smoke continues to be most commonly observed in the home and workplace, but also in public places and vehicles. This research shows that ETS plays a major part in some of these absences and points out the need for smoking cessation programs, especially for the parents of children with asthma. (NIH 2004). In addition, the only way to protect nonsmokers would be to eliminate any smoking in indoor spaces. This suggestion has prompted many enactments of smoke-free laws across the United States.


1. Fact Sheet Secondhand Smoke. CDC. Retrieved August 30, 2008 http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/secondhandsmoke.htm


2. Childhood Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke Has Long-Lasting Effects: Fruit Fiber May Help. Retrieved September 6, 2008.http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/releases/news-archive/2005/smoke.cfm


3. Study Shows Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Second-hand Smoke Greater for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Children. (2004). NIH. Retrieved September 6, 2008
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2004/niehs-15.htm

4. Trends in Secondhand Smoke Exposure among US Nonsmokers. (2007). CDC. Retrieved August 30, 2008 http://www.cdc.gov/Features/SmokeExposure/

5. Zhong CY, Zhou YM, Joad JP, Pinkerton KE. (2006). Environmental Tobacco Smoke Suppresses Nuclear Factor-{kappa}B Signaling to Increase Apoptosis in Infant Monkey Lungs. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 174(4):428-36.