We are exposed daily to a form of air pollution that causes
twice as many deaths as all other types of air pollution put
together. This is known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), which
is actually the smoke from other people's cigarettes.
Also referred to as second-hand smoke, about 85% to 90% of the
smoke from every cigarette ends up in the air as ETS. A lighted
cigarette produces two types of smoke that a non-smoker breathes
in:
ETS consists of around 85% sidestream smoke and 15% mainstream
smoke. Sidestream smoke has a higher temperature than mainstream
smoke and does not pass through the cigarette's filter tip. The
concentration of chemicals in sidestream smoke is thus higher than
in mainstream smoke.
This does not mean that smoking is less dangerous. The smoker
inhales far more smoke than the people around him because unlike
ETS, mainstream smoke does not get mixed with the surrounding air
before reaching his lungs.
Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 different chemicals, of
which at least 400 are poisonous to man. The World Health
Organization reports that at least sixty cancer-causing chemicals
have been identified in secondhand smoke. Research on ETS has shown
that living with, working with or just being around a smoker can
harm your health. When you breathe in ETS, your health is affected
adversely.
A person exposed to ETS is at risk of developing health
conditions similar to those faced by the smoker, which include:
Recent studies have estimated that non-smokers exposed to ETS at
home or in their workplace have their risk of lung cancer raised
about a quarter, while heavy exposure at work doubles the risk of
lung cancer.
There is evidence to suggest that babies and children are
particularly susceptible to the health effects of ETS. When parents
or other caregivers like grandparents smoke, their children suffer
as well.
Some examples of the harmful effects on children include:
According to the Surgeon General Report, women who smoke while
they are pregnant or are exposed to ETS are more likely to suffer a
miscarriage or stillbirth. Their babies may be born prematurely or
have a lower than normal birth weight.
Children whose parents smoke are also likely to pick up smoking,
as seen in the Student Health Survey 20064 where 6 in 10 youth
smokers have at least one parent who is also a smoker.
An additional danger remains even after a cigarette has been
stubbed out. Third-hand smoke refers to cigarette residual
particles that remain in the environment after a cigarette is
extinguished. These particles linger on a smoker's hair, clothing,
household fabrics such as carpets, curtains, rugs and surfaces like
floors and windows. Young children and infants are especially
susceptible to these toxins as they crawl on, play on, touch and
inhale particles from these contaminated surfaces. This shows that
the adverse impact of lighting a cigarette goes a long way.
Smoking has many harmful effects on health and ETS is one of
them. Not lighting up a cigarette marks the beginning of a
healthier lifestyle for you and your loved ones. Breathe in the
fresh air by going smoke free today!