The Facts about Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. killing 38,000 to 65,000 nonsmokers every year.
Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, other types of cancer, and heart disease in nonsmokers.
Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause children to develop asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, other respiratory infections, and ear infections. Exposure to secondhand smoke also increase the risk that infants will die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Food service workers appear to be 50% more likely than the general population to develop lung cancer, largely because many of them are exposed to secondhand smoke on the job.
Besides causing disease, secondhand smoke also exacerates a number of pre-existing health conditions, including some allergies, asthma, bronchitis, other respiratory ailments, and heart disease.
Cigarette smoke contains over 4,700 chemicals, over 200 poisons, and over 50 human carcinogens. The poisons in cigarette smoke include carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and methyl isocyanate. The carcinogens in cigarette smoke include benzo[a]pyrene and NNK, which cause lung cancer; nitrosamines, which cause cancer of the lung, respiratory system, and other organs; aromatic amines, which cause bladder and breast cancer; formaldehyde, which causes nasal cancer; and benzene, which causes leukemia. The carcinogen NNK has been found in nonsmokers who have been exposed to secondhand smoke.
Each year environmental tobacco smoke kills approximately 53,000 Americans, the same number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. (Action on Smoking and Health, Special Report, Involuntary Smoking: The Factual Basis for Action, 1993)
The Environmental Protection Agency has classified environmental tobacco smoke as a Group A Carcinogen a substance known to cause cancer in humans. Environmental tobacco smoke joins a list, which includes substances such as radon and asbestos. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Respiratory Health Effectsd of Involuntary Smoking, 1993)
Waiters and waitresses have almost twice the risk of lung cancer due to involuntary exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). (Siegel, Michael, Involuntary Smoking in the Restaurant Workplace, Journal of the American Mecical Association, July 28, 1993; 270: 490-493.)
Chemicals in Environmental Tobacco Smoke
A few of the 4,000 chemicals in Environmental Tobacco Smoke, several of which are cancer causing agents, are listed below. The is from Table 3-1, 1992 EPA Report, Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking.
Benzene
2-Napthylamine
4-Aminobiphenyl
Nickel
Polonium 210 (radioactive)
Nitrogen oxides
N-Nitrosodimethylamine
N-Nitrosodiethylamine
N-Nitrosopyrrolidine
1,3-Butadiene
Analine
Formaldehyde
Hydrazine
N-Nitrodiethanolamine
Cadmium
Benzo[a]pyrene
Benz[a]anthracene
Y-Butyrolactone
Particulate matter
N-Nitrosonomicotine
NNK
Carbon monoxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbonyl sulfide
Toluene
Acrolein
Acetone
Pyridine
3-Methylpyridine
3-Vinylpyridine
Hydrogen cyanide
Ammonia
Methylamine
Dimethylamine
Nicotine
Anatabine
Phenol
Catechol
Hydorquinone
Cholesterol
The Facts about Secondhand Smoke (ETS) and Asthma :
Nearly 1 in 13 school-aged children has Asthma
An estimated 8,000 26,000 new asthma cases arise in children per year
Between 1980-1994, asthma among children under 5 years old increased by 160%
Nearly 1 in 5 of all pediatric emergency room visits are asthma-related
Nearly 2 out of 5 children aged 2 months-5 years live with at least one smoker
A estimated 9-12 million children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home
It is estimated that up to 1 million children have aggravated asthma symptoms due to Secondhand Smoke
Other major indoor asthma triggers are dust mites, mold, and animal dander, and cockroach allergens
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environment Division and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).