Do you know when you smoke you actually put those around you in more danger than yourself? Yes! You heard it right, if you are smoking at home or in the office, your family, friends, and neighbors are getting negatively impacted. This form of smoking is known as second-hand smoke.

On this World Tobacco Day (31 MAY 2023) we bring your attention to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Before knowing how your smoking habit is harming your loved ones, let's understand secondhand smoke.

What is secondhand smoke?

It is also known as passive smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). When you  actively smoke, harmful substances are released into the air, and the person in close proximity unintentionally takes in the smoke. This is known as secondhand smoke.

Why is secondhand smoke more dangerous?

Secondhand smoke comprises a mixture of toxic chemicals such as nicotine, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, and many others. These get released from the end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe unfiltered. 

These unfiltered harmful chemicals do more harm to the non-smoker next to you than mainstream smoking done by you.

According to studies, secondhand smoke causes nearly 34,000 premature deaths due to heart disease.

When does secondhand smoke start to have harmful effects?

Studies have concluded that secondhand smoke starts its harmful effects in as little as five minutes.

  • After 5 minutes: The arteries become less flexible
  • After 20-30 minutes: Blood starts thickening and fat deposits in blood vessels. Both factors increase the risk of heart attack (reduced flow of blood to heart muscles) and stroke (reduced supply of blood in the brain)
  • After 2 hours: Arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat) can develop. It can trigger a heart attack or other underlying cardiac conditions

Who is at greater risk of secondhand smoke?

Some sections of people who are at greater risk of secondhand smoke are:

  • Restaurant servers and bartenders
  • Pregnant women
  • Infants and children

How secondhand smoke is affecting them?

Secondhand smoke has harmful effects on different parts of the body. It causes:

  • High blood pressure, atherosclerosis (accumulation of fat in the blood vessels), heart attack, or stroke
  • Increase in the risk of lung problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD, a group of lung diseases responsible for airway block making it difficult to breathe) and asthma
  • Increased risks of breast, bladder, and lung cancer
  • Frequent complaints of coughing and sneezing, ear infections, and shortness of breath
  • Increased risk of asthma attacks, bronchitis (swelling of airways), or pneumonia (infection of lungs).
  • Risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), the abrupt and unclear death of an infant less than one year

You may continue smoking even after knowing its harmful effects on you. But now that you know that your action is not only negatively affecting you but also taking a toll on your loved ones, make sure to take a step to quit smoking for the sake of your people. 

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