The Health Risks of Exposure to Secondhand Smoking - Adults

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Secondhand smoke kills
Tobacco smoke contains 4,000 toxic chemicals at least 40 of which are known to cause cancer - you don't have to be a smoker to die from a smoking related disease. Secondhand smoking causes up to11,000 non-smokers' deaths in the UK each year.

A smoker inhales only 15% of the smoke from a cigarette, the remaining 85% of the smoke from the burning tip of the cigarette discharges into the air and is called 'sidestream' smoke. Sidestream smoke contains a higher concentration of chemicals that the smoke inhaled by the smoker.

In the short term breathing in secondhand tobacco smoke causes a raft of unpleasant symptoms:

• Shortness of breath
  
• Headache
  
• Nausea
  
• Dizziness
  
• Sore throat
  
• Coughs
  
• Eye irritation

Most non-smokers are concerned by the health effects of secondhand smoking and dislike the smell of tobacco smoke in the atmosphere and on their clothes. But that's not the end of the problem because secondhand smoking can have a major effect on health:

Heart disease

• Short exposure - as little as 30 minutes significantly reduces the blood supply to the heart of a fit and healthy adult. The effect is almost the same as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
  
• Prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 25-30%.

Lung cancer

• Non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased risk of developing lung cancer of 20-30%.

Stroke

• Secondhand smoking considerably increases the risk of stroke in those who have never smoked. Studies show the increased risk to be as high as 82% in men and 66% in women.

Asthma

Secondhand smoke is a problem for asthma in two ways:

• It causes asthma in people who would otherwise be healthy
  • A non-smoker whose partner smokes is nearly five times more likely to develop asthma
    
  • Those exposed to secondhand smoke at work are more than twice as likely to develop asthma
• It worsens the symptoms of people with asthma
  

Secondhand smoking and asthma

Pregnant women

• Nicotine, carbon monoxide and the other toxic chemicals found in cigarettes are absorbed into a pregnant woman's bloodstream when she is exposed to secondhand smoke threatening the health of the unborn child
  
• Pregnant women who are exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased risk of giving birth to an underweight baby, which can lead to health and developmental problems in childhood and later life

Protect yourself and your family from secondhand smoke

• Keep your home smoke-free; ask visitors to smoke outside
• Keep your car a smoke-free zone
• Ask smokers not to smoke around you or your family.
• Choose smoke free pubs, restaurants and other venues
• Ask for smoke-free places when out and about - there is a perception that the demand for smoke-free places is low, 73% of the population are non-smokers and its time we expressed our preference
• If you are exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace, ask your employer to introduce a no-smoking policy