Effects of Secondhand Smoke

Within secondhand smoke there are more than 7000 chemicals, hundreds of toxic substances and seventy of these chemicals that are known for causing cancer (Smoking & tobacco use).  The factors that affect which chemicals are found within secondhand smoke include: the type of tobacco, the way the tobacco is smoked, and the type of material the cigarettes and cigars are wrapped in.  For example, the amount of secondhand smoke emitted by one cigar is equal to the amount of smoke from a full pack of cigarettes (Secondhand smoke and cancer).  The Environmental Protective Agency (Health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke), the U.S. National Toxicology Program and the U.S. Surgeon General have classified secondhand smoke as a known human carcinogen.  As a result to secondhand smoke, around 3000 non-smokers die each year from cancer that was caused by secondhand smoke.  A non-smoker can be exposed to second hand smoke within home, work, public places, in vehicles and many other places.  When living with a smoker, a non-smoker will be twenty to thirty percent more likely to develop lung cancer from secondhand smoke (Secondhand smoke and cancer).

            Secondhand smoke not only puts a non-smoker at a higher risk for cancer, but it also increases the risk of other life threatening diseases.  In children, secondhand smoke can cause asthma.  This can occur in children that have never experience any asthma symptoms before exposure to secondhand smoke.  The smoke can trigger the child to have asthma attack and make the symptoms more severe (Health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke).  Children exposed to secondhand smoke also have a greater risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  In June of 2006 the U.S. Surgeon General released a major report that shows the casual relationship between SIDS and secondhand smoke (Health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke).   This also showed that the home is the main location where children are exposed to the most significant secondhand smoke.  In the National Survey on Environmental Management of Asthma and Children’s Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke, they found that ninety percent of children experience secondhand smoke from their parents.  This also found that eleven percent of children six years and younger are exposed to ETS at home on a regular basis. (Regular basis is at least four times per week.) (Health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke).  Another issue with secondhand smoke in children is the increased risk of developing lower respiratory tract infections like pneumonia and bronchitis.  This mainly occurs in infants and children under the age of six years old.  Another risk for children being exposed to secondhand smoke is developing middle ear infections. Children are very vulnerable population because they are still developing physically, they have less control over their indoor environments and they have a higher respiration rate than adults.

            Adults are also adversely affected by secondhand smoke.  Other then lung cancer, secondhand smoke can lead to premature deaths in the adult population.  The smoke irritates the airways which effects a person’s heart and blood vessels.  Putting such a damper on the cardiovascular system can lead to heart disease or even heart attacks.  A person that is exposed to secondhand smoke at work or home increases their risk of heart disease by twenty-five to thirty percent.  Within the United States, ETS causes around 46,000 heart disease deaths annually (Smoking & tobacco use).   Chemicals that are found in sidestream smoke are able to enter a women’s breast tissue and enter the milk while pregnant.

            Not only are children and adults affected by secondhand smoke, but so are animals that are around tobacco smoke.  In a study by the Tufts College of Veterinary Medicine found that the rate of oral cancer within cats are much higher if they live in a home of a smoker.  The carcinogen elements from secondhand smoke stay on the fur of cats and because of hygiene habits of cats they lick these elements off of their fur coats.  Cats are also twice likely to develop cancer within their lymph nodes. Another animal affected by secondhand smoke is dogs.  Dogs are likely to develop cancers in their nose or sinus areas.  Dogs will longer noses are more susceptible because of the increase in surface area they are able to pick up more carcinogen elements from secondhand smoke (Thompson, 2007). 

            One way to fix health problems in humans and animals is to implement smoking bans within the communities.  This can be by banning smoking within business or public places.  One research survey that was conducted found that after implementing a smoking ban within a worksite, the number of people smoking decreased 5.7%.  Not only did the number of people smoking decrease, but the number of cigarettes being smoked daily dropped 2.67 cigarettes on average.  Having a worksite smoking ban has the greatest effect of decreasing the rates of smoking (Farrelly, Evans, Sfekas, 1999).  An average person spends most of the day at their place of employment.  This is logical because people engage in tobacco use for many reasons, which include: social factors, stress management etc.

References

Farrelly, M., Evans, W., & Sfekas, A. (1999, March 25). The impact of workplace smoking bans: results from a national survey. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1763942/pdf/v008p00272.pdf

Health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/healtheffects.html

Secondhand smoke. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/TobaccoCancer/secondhand-smoke

Secondhand smoke and cancer. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/ETS

Smoking & tobacco use. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/general_facts/index.htm

Thompson, A, (2007, August 31). Secondhand smoke causes cancer in pets. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/7378-secondhand-smoke-cancer-pets.html