Only
15%
of smoke from a cigarette is inhaled by the smoker. The other 85%
goes directly into the air and is known as second
hand smoke. Second hand smoke is a combination of: mainstream smoke, which
is the smoke inhaled and then breathed out AND Sidestream smoke, which
is the smoke coming from the cigarette between puffs.
Sidestream smoke has more tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide and other
chemicals that cause cancer than the smoke inhaled through the cigarette
itself! All second-hand smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals! Passive
smoking is the breathing in of the second-hand smoke produced by other
people's cigarettes.
In the short-term Exposure
to passive smoke leads to immediate problems such as irritation of the
nose, eyes or throat, coughs, nausea, dizziness and headaches. Every year
in the U.K 17,000 children under five years of age are admitted to hospitals
because of illnesses related to passive smoking. The risk of cot death
is greatly increased in children who have been exposed to smoke either
during pregnancy, or at home if one or both parents smoke.
In the long term
Consequences are much more serious- passive smoking contributes to the
development of lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. And… As they grow
older children are almost 3 times more likely to start smoking if their
parents do.
Everyone at times is
a passive smoker, and passive smoking is not just an annoyance, it's a
health risk! So the next time one of your friends lights up in front of
you, fire off these facts:
Secondhand smoke
can produce six times the pollution of a busy motorway when in a crowded
room.
Secondhand smoke
kills about 3,000 nonsmokers each year from lung cancer
Secondhand smoke causes wheezing, coughing, colds, earaches and asthma attacks.
Secondhand smoke fills the air with many of the same poisons found in the air
around toxic waste dumps.
Only
15%
of smoke from a cigarette is inhaled by the smoker. The other 85%
goes directly into the air and is known as second
hand smoke. Second hand smoke is a combination of: mainstream smoke, which
is the smoke inhaled and then breathed out AND Sidestream smoke, which
is the smoke coming from the cigarette between puffs.
Exposure
to passive smoke leads to immediate problems such as irritation of the
nose, eyes or throat, coughs, nausea, dizziness and headaches. Every year
in the U.K 17,000 children under five years of age are admitted to hospitals
because of illnesses related to passive smoking. The risk of cot death
is greatly increased in children who have been exposed to smoke either
during pregnancy, or at home if one or both parents smoke.