Whether you like it or not, you are exposed to passive smoke either in your workplace or public areas. Passive smoke causes at least 46,000 deaths in the United States a year. No doubt, non smokers involuntarily subject themselves to the ill effects of passive smoke. You will treat passive smoke as hazardous to you and your loved ones once you read and digest the facts and dangers of passive smoke, the groups of people at risk, and ways to avoid the health risk of cigarette smoke. This article will change your attitude towards passive smoke and move you to protect the future of your family.



Passive smoke is also known as second hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke. A combination of sidestream and mainstream smoke make up passive smoke. When a smoker exhales the tobacco smoke, it is known as mainstream smoke. Sidestream smoke comes from the burning tip of the cigarette. Both of these smoke contain similar chemicals.

Both sidestream and mainstream smoke contain 4,000 harmful chemical of which 80 are known to be carcinogenic. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified second hand smoke as a Class A carcinogen. It is the most dangerous indoor pollutant. People spend most of their time at home. Imagine if your home is filled with smokers. It is like living next to the exhaust of a running car. As passive smokers, your health is affected adversely.

Exposure to second hand smoke can cause you to develop sicknesses. You can experience the immediate effects such as eye irritation, cough, headache, nausea, dizziness, and sore throat. On the long term, you may suffer from respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma. Let's not forget heart and lung disease too. Your risk of developing various kinds of cancer increases as well. Children tend to get middle-ear infection. Passive smoke also put infants on greater risks of sudden infant death syndrome. Whereas, pregnant mothers are at increase risk of having low weight babies at birth. The fact is passive smoke can destroy your health.

There are certain people who encounter greater health risk. People who are more likely to experience the adverse effect of second hand smoke are pregnant women, newborns, children, and teenagers. People who are diagnosed with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other respiratory illnesses are also at danger.

Passive smoke do not only affect certain people but everyone who happens to be in the same environment as a smoker.

Places such as public areas, work places, and your home where smoking is allowed can threaten a non smoker's life. To protect your loved ones, you have to take certain measures.

Now that you are aware of the dangers of second hand smoke, it is time for you to do something for your family and loved ones. Start with your home. Make sure nobody smokes in the home. If somebody smokes, encourage them to quit smoking. Choose to go to public areas which have been assigned as smoke free zones. Separating non smoking areas from smoking areas will not help as tobacco can travel easily through air duct systems. Think of other creative ways to prevent your loved ones from absorbing this toxic pollution.

You don't need to depend on scientific evidence before you decide passive smoke is dangerous. It clearly endangers anyone regardless of age. No one is free from the dangers of second hand smoke. Make sure you do all you can to protect your family.