You Don't Have to Live with Secondhand Smoke
|
Secondhand smoke. A mixture of
smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar, and
the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. |
| Check out the Secondhand
Smoke or Home
IAQ Overview Instructional Modules from our Training Manual for more
information, or read some Q&A below. |
Here are some common questions
and answers about secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco
smoke (ETS). Take action now to reduce your risks.
Q: What is secondhand smoke?
A: 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. This mixture contains
more than 4,000 substances, more than 40 of which are known to cause cancer
in humans or animals and many of which are strong irritants. Exposure to
secondhand smoke is called involuntary smoking, or passive smoking.
Q: How does secondhand smoke affect my health?
A: Secondhand smoke has been classified
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of lung
cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen). EPA estimates that ETS causes approximately
3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers each year.
Q: What about the risks to children?
A: Secondhand smoke is a serious health
risk to children:
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EPA estimates that passive smoking is responsible for between 150,000 and
300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under
18 months of age annually, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations
each year.
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Children exposed to secondhand smoke are also more likely to have reduced
lung function and symptoms of respiratory irritation like cough, excess
phlegm, and wheeze.
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Passive smoking can lead to buildup of fluid in the middle ear, the most
common cause of hospitalization of children for an operation.
Asthmatic children are especially at risk:
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EPA estimates that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the number of
episodes and severity of symptoms in hundreds of thousands of asthmatic
children.
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EPA estimates that between 200,000 and 1,000,000 asthmatic children have
their condition made worse by exposure to secondhand smoke.
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Passive smoking may also cause thousands of non-asthmatic children to develop
the condition each year.
Q: What can I do to reduce my family's risk from
ETS?
A: Do not smoke in your home or permit
others to do so. If a family member insists on smoking indoors, increase
ventilation in the area where smoking takes place. Open windows or use
exhaust fans. Do not smoke if children are present, particularly infants
and toddlers. They are particularly susceptible to the effects of passive
smoking.
Q: Where can I get more information?
A: Visit the EPA web page concerning secondhand smoke. Contact your local Extension
Office, your state department of health, or the National Indoor Air Quality
Information Clearinghouse (1-800-438-4318). Other agencies with information
are:
Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
404-488-5705
National Cancer Institute: 800-4-CANCER
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: 301-951-3260
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: 1-800-35-NIOSH
 “www.healthyindoorair.org” is a partnership program of the Montana
State University Extension Service - Housing Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, the Healthy Homes Partnership - Alabama Cooperative Extension System @ Auburn University, U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development, , and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency - Indoor Environments Division.
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