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The Facts about Secondhand Smoke

“A burning cigarette is a little toxic waste dump on fire, emitting benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, cyanide, arsenic, and many of the same chemicals in diesel exhaust.”
Professor Stanton Glantz, University of California    

Tobacco Smoke Pollution   

• A burning cigarette spends over 90% of the time smouldering and generating air pollution non-smokers are forced to breathe.    
• Most of the toxic chemicals produced by cigarettes end up in the air non-smokers breathe rather than being inhaled by the smoker.  

Secondhand smoke causes the same diseases in non-smokers as smokers:

• Heart attacks and strokes
• Cardio-vascular problems e.g impotence
• Lung, Nasal Sinus and Cervical Cancers
• Asthma attacks, wheezing and other breathing problems (particularly in children)
• Burning eyes, nose and throat
• Headache and nausea
• Middle ear infections in children
• Slow foetal growth and Cot Death    

The UK picture…

• An estimated 12,000 people die every year from secondhand smoke exposure in the UK    
• This is as many deaths as in the Great London Smog and triple the number of deaths from road traffic accidents  

“There is no safe level of secondhand smoke. Restaurant, bar, and casino workers     involuntarily inhale enough secondhand smoke every day to suffer some of the same health effects observed in pack-a-day smokers.” Professor Stanton Glantz, University of California    

Even a little is dangerous...  

• In the short term, activated platelets can form a blood clot (thrombus) in the blood stream.
• If this clot blocks an artery in the heart, it causes a heart attack. In the brain, it causes a stroke. Activated platelets can also damage the artery lining leading to cholesterol build-up and  narrowing of the arteries
• This causes coronary heart disease, chest pain, and heart attacks.  

Two hours of secondhand smoke exposure compromises control of the heart beat, boosting the risk of irregular beats (and sudden death) or a heart attack. A heart attack suffered whilst breathing secondhand smoke is likely to be worse.  

When Helena, (a town in Montana, USA) implemented a smoke-free policy in restaurants, bars and workplaces, heart attacks dropped by 60% 

Irritating present conditions  

• Secondhand smoke can also aggravate a present condition, making it worse over time
• Therefore, it is not just how much tobacco smoke is breathed in, but also how often and for how long  

Source: www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu   

Secondhand Smoke in Warwickshire

Many Warwickshire residents live in homes with a smoker.   To find out more about the benefits of a smoke free home for all the family, please click here.