Effects of Second Hand Smoking.

Second Hand Smoking or Passive Smoking is the inhalation of smoke by persons other than the intended "active" smoker. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment...

When you breathe in smoke that comes from the end of a lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe (sidestream smoke) or that is exhaled by a smoker (mainstream smoke), you're inhaling almost the same amount of chemicals as the smoker breathes in. Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 different chemical compounds, more than 50 of which are known to cause cancer. These are just a few of the chemicals that float into your lungs when you are exposed to secondhand smoke:

• Hydrogen cyanide -- a highly poisonous gas used in chemical weapons and pest control.
• Benzene -- a component of gasoline.
• Formaldehyde -- a chemical used to embalm corpses.
• Carbon monoxide -- a poisonous gas found in car exhaust.

Second Hand Smoking can have a number of health implications, some of which include cancer and heart diseases. In children it may cause the following;

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Increased number of respiratory infections (such as bronchitis and pneumonia)
• More severe and frequent asthma attacks.
• Ear infections.
• Chronic cough.

It is therefore advisable for a non-smoker to make a conscious effort to avoid inhaling smoke from a lit cigarette or while an 'active smoker' smokes.





Credits: Wikipedia, WebMD .