BREATHING OTHERS' SMOKE

There is no safe level of environmental tobacco smoke, also known as secondhand smoke or passive smoke. Environmental tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals and at least 40 known chemicals that can cause cancer. Each year, a significant number of nonsmoking adults die from lung cancer as a result of breathing secondhand smoke.

The Environmental Protection Agency classifies secondhand smoke as an environmental toxin equal to asbestos and other hazardous substances. Every time someone smokes, poisons are released into the air from the burning end of the cigarette, cigar or pipe, and exhaled smoke. Some of these poisons are benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide.

Family household and day care smoking increases the chances of children to develop serious illnesses, such as asthma, smoke-caused coughs and wheezing, bronchitis, pneumonia, meningitis, sudden infant death syndrome, eye and ear problems, or potentially fatal lower respiratory infections.

Until a parent has stopped smoking completely, the best bet is to make sure he or she smokes only outside the home. It would be healthier for the whole family if the parent would quit smoking altogether.

More and more, state and local laws are restricting smoking at the workplace and in public buildings. While it is important to consider everyone's preferences, when health and preferences conflict, it is more important to protect the health of those who choose not to smoke.

If there are no laws where you live that restrict where people can smoke:

ask your employer to make sure you do not have to breathe other people's smoke
ask to sit in the nonsmoking section of restaurants or bars and
make sure your child's day-care, school, and after-school programs are smoke-free

Over 44 million Americans have kicked the smoking habit. By promoting smoke-free environments, we are helping to protect everybody's health.

For more information, contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association, or visit their websites at www.cancer.org and www.lungusa.org.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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