Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. Secondhand smoke is also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Exposure to secondhand smoke is called involuntary smoking, or passive smoking.

What are the facts?

• Secondhand smoke has been classified as a known cause of lung cancer in humans.
• Secondhand smoke can make healthy young children sick; it can cause pneumonia, ear infections, bronchitis, coughing, wheezing and increased mucus production.
• Secondhand smoke can lead to buildup of fluid in the middle ear.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.
• Secondhand smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals: 200 are poisons; 60 cause cancer. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. Secondhand smoke causes increased cardiovascular risks by damaging blood vessels.
• The EPA estimates that secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35.000 heart disease deaths in nonsmokers each year. Secondhand smoke is associated with low birth weight.
• Separating smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space may reduce, but does not eliminate, a nonsmoker’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
• Secondhand smoke may make asthma attacks more frequent and severe in children.
• Pets also can he hurt by secondhand smoke; dogs and cats exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop cancers.
• Secondhand smoke exposure is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and infertility.
• Secondhand smoke causes 53,000 deaths every year, making it the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.

Where is secondhand smoke a problem?

Your workplace.

Public places such as restaurants, shopping centers, public transportation, schools and daycare centers.

Public places where children go are a special area of concern.

Your home.

What can I do?

• Stop smoking—Don’t smoke in your home, in your car or around children.
• Don’t allow smoking inside your home—a smoke-free home protects your family, your guests and even your pets.
• Choose a smoke-free child care facility—including home-based sitters.
• Don’t allow smoking in your vehicle.
• Seek a smoke—free worksite Support clean air laws that protect you from secondhand smoke.