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A key part of tackling the health risks of smoking is protecting smokers
and non-smokers from tobacco smoke. Breathing in other people’s
tobacco smoke (also known as secondhand smoke, passive smoking or
environmental tobacco smoke) is a health hazard and unpleasant.
What
is secondhand smoke
- Is the breathing
in of other people’s cigarette smoke.
- Is made up of “sidestream”
smoke from the burning tip of the cigarette and “mainstream”
smoke exhaled by the smoker.
- You might hear secondhand
smoke also referred to as passive smoking and environmental tobacco
smoke (ETS). Second hand smoke is a health hazard and there is
nothing passive about breathing in this smoke.
- Is a major source
of indoor air pollution.
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What
does secondhand smoke contain
Secondhand smoke
contains five regulated hazardous air pollutants, 47 regulated hazardous
waste, more than 100 chemical poisons and more than 50 known or
suspected cancer causing agents. Some examples of these and their
known use include:
Example
Acetone
Arsenic
Benzene
Benxopyrene
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde
Methane
Nicotine
Silicon
Vinyl chloride
Zinc |
Common
use
Nail polish remover
Rat poison
Industrial solvent
Diesel exhaust
Car exhaust
Preservative for dead bodies, wood, and fabrics
Swamp gas
Insecticide and the addictive drug in tobacco
Computer chips
Raw materials to make plastic
Metal, in coins
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Effects
of secondhand smoke
- Short term effects
of second hand smoke include shortness of breath, wheeze, cough,
nausea, headache and irritation to the eyes.
- Increase the risk
of lung cancer by 20-30% in people who live with smokers.
- Increase the risk
of coronary heart disease by 25-30%.
- A recent study by
Jamrozik estimated that secondhand smoke may kill over 11,000
people every year in the UK from cancer, heart disease, strokes
and other diseases
- Non-smokers exposed
to secondhand smoke at work have a 12-19% increased lung cancer.
- A study by the Royal
College of Physicians showed that about 17,000 children in the
UK are admitted to hospital every year because of illnesses caused
by second-hand smoke.
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What
about smokeless tobacco?
- Also
known as chewing tobacco or snuff, this is popular in South Asian
communities in the UK.
- Most types of smokeless
tobacco contain at least 28 different chemicals that can cause
cancer.
- Smokeless tobacco
is just as addictive as cigarettes.
- The amount of nicotine
absorbed from smokeless tobacco is 3-4 times greater than that
deliver by a cigarette. The nicotine is also more slowly and stays
in the bloodstream longer.
- Many studies have
shown that smokeless tobacco may cause oral cancer and pancreatic
cancer.
- The current medical
advice is that you should not use smokeless tobacco to help you
quit smoking.
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Tips for protecting others
from secondhand smoke
- Keep your home and
car smokefree by smoking outside.
- If you're out with
non-smokers, go to a smokefree venue (this should be easier after
1 st July).
- Avoid smoking near
babies and young children as they are more likely to get coughs
and colds, as well as middle ear disease which can cause deafness.
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