Secondhand Smoke
What is Secondhand Smoke?
- Secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke) is the sidestream smoke (smoke from the burning end of a tobacco product) and mainstream smoke (the smoke exhaled by the the smoker)
- Secondhand smoke constitutes more than 4,000 chemicals, at least 250 are known to be harmful, and 50 of these are carcinogens which include:
- arsenic (heavy metal toxin)
- benzene (chemical found in gasoline)
- beryllium (toxic metal)
- cadmium (metal used in batteries)
- chromium (metallic element)
- ethylene oxide (chemical used to sterilize medical devices)
- nickel (metallic element)
- polonium-210 (chemical element that is radio active)
- vinyl chloride (toxic substance used in plastic manufacture)
Is Secondhand Smoke Harmful?
- There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke as reported by the US Surgeon General in 2006
- There is scientific evidence that shows even low levels of secondhand smoke exposure can be harmful
- The only way to fully protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure is to completely eliminate smoking in indoor spaces
- Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot completely eliminate secondhand smoke exposure
What are the Health Risks for Secondhand Smoke Exposure?
- Secondhand smoke causes cancer in nonsmokers
- Secondhand smoke is classified as a Class A carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US National Toxicology Program (NTP), the US Surgeon General, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
- Approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths occur each year among adult nonsmokers in the US as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke
- Secondhand samoke causes heart disease in adults and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), ear infections, and asthma attacks in children
Information from the National Cancer Institute, 2009
