Second Hand Smoking: Medical or Physiological Effects

Secondhand smoke is a combination of smoke from a burning cigarette and smoke exhaled by the smoker. Secondhand smoke is also known as passive smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Mostly the term second hand smoke is used in opposition to ETS because the latter infers a relationship between tobacco smoke and the environment generally leads to confusion as to its exact meaning. The environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) can be easily recognized by its distinctive odor as it pollutes the air and keep it in clothing, curtains and furniture, etc. However, it is not limited to irritation; ETS represents a dangerous health hazard worldwide. Over 4,000 different chemicals have been identified in ETS, and around 50 of these substances are known carcinogens. Some of the chemicals commonly found in secondhand smoke include, but are not limited to: • benzopyrenes: These are also in the coal tar, one of the most potent chemical carcinogens. • Formaldehyde: It is normally used to preserve dead animals. • Hydrogen Cyanide: It is used in rat poison! • Ammonia: It is used to clean floors and toilets. Breathing secondhand smoke can be more dangerous than inhaling smoke from a cigarette. He has twice as much nicotine and tar than the smoke inhaled smoke people and five times more carbon monoxide, a deadly gas that starves the body of oxygen. harmful effects of passive smoking: People who do not smoke and are exposed to toxic chemicals in secondhand smoke on a regular basis, can suffer serious health problems and sometimes death. In the long term, people exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher risk of suffering from lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer, heart disease, stroke and respiratory problems, including increased coughing, wheezing, pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma. In fact, every time someone breathes in secondhand smoke, he / she consumes more than 100 harmful chemicals – carcinogens and toxins. People who live with someone who smokes and who are exposed to tobacco smoke on a regular basis are about 30 percent increased risk of developing lung cancer and heart disease. Even the blood vessels as little as 8-20 minutes of passive smoking can cause physical reactions linked to heart disease and stroke, such as increased heart rate, less oxygen to the heart, and constricted, which increases blood pressure and makes the heart work harder. Effects on children: Children are at even higher risk because their lungs are still at a stage of development and can be more easily damaged by secondhand smoke. Infants also inhale more amount of smoke because they breathe faster than adults. Babies who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as crib death. More than three times as many children die of SIDS related to secondhand smoke as abuse or homicide. Effects of smoking on children is more than one adult. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke have double the risk of bronchitis and pneumonia. Secondhand smoke can affect children’s behavior and their ability to understand and reason. Studies have shown that children who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke score lower on tests in reading, mathematics, logic and reasoning skills. For children with asthma, exposure to even small amounts of secondhand smoke can trigger an asthma attack. Breathing secondhand smoke can increase the number of asthma attacks. Exposing children with asthma to secondhand smoke at home increases the number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause asthma in children without developing it.