Second hand smoke - Dangers

1. Second Hand Smoke: Danger!
Jessica with her son, who is wearing an oxygen
mask. Make your home and vehicles smoke free
for cleaner air and a healthier heart and lungs.
More than 58 million nonsmokers in the United
States are still exposed to secondhand smoke,
even though cigarette smoking rates are
dropping and many states prohibit smoking in
public places such as worksites, restaurants, and
bars. In all, about 1 of every 4 nonsmokers is
exposed to the dangerous chemicals in
secondhand smoke.
Young children and African-Americans are more
likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke than
many other population groups.
2 in 5 children (aged 3 to 11 years), including 7
in 10 Black children (aged 3 to 11 years), are
exposed, as are
Nearly half of all Black nonsmokers.
Breathing secondhand smoke is also more
common for renters and people at lower income
levels, including:
2 in 5 people who live in poverty
More than 1 in 3 people who live in rental
housing

2. Secondhand smoke exposure occurs when
nonsmokers breathe in tobacco smoke exhaled
by smokers or when they breathe the smoke
from burning tobacco products.
The Environmental Protection Agency has
classified secondhand smoke as a Group A
carcinogen—an agent that is known to cause
cancer in humans—and the Surgeon General has
concluded that there is no safe level of exposure
to secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke contains dangerous
chemicals that can damage the lungs and heart.
It is known to cause heart disease and cancer in
adult nonsmokers, and even brief exposure can
trigger a heart attack or stroke. Secondhand
smoke can also cause sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS), respiratory infections, ear
infections, and asthma attacks in infants and
children. Every year, exposure to secondhand
smoke causes:
41,000 adult nonsmokers to die from heart
disease or lung cancer
400 infants to die from SIDS
Nathan, a lifetime nonsmoker who participated in
CDC's Tips From Former Smokers campaign,
died at age 54 after years of secondhand smoke
exposure where he worked. More than two and a

3. half million nonsmokers have died from exposure
to secondhand smoke since 1964.
Smokefree Laws Save Lives, But Many Not
Protected
In the last 25 years, 700 cities and 26 states plus
the District of Columbia have passed
comprehensive laws to protect nonsmokers by
prohibiting smoking in indoor workplaces,
restaurants, and bars. These local and state laws
currently cover about half of the U.S. population
and have helped reduce the number of people
who are exposed to secondhand smoke.
Home Exposure Still a Problem
Even though more than 4 of every 5 households
in the United States have adopted smokefree
rules, secondhand smoke exposure in the home
is still a serious problem. The home remains the
major source of secondhand smoke exposure for
children. The Surgeon General has indicated that
making indoor spaces smokefree is the only way
to provide nonsmokers with complete protection
from secondhand smoke.
Limiting smoking to specific rooms, opening a
window, or using air fresheners or fans is not
enough to fully protect individuals in the home,
including those who live in multiunit housing such

4. as apartments, condos, and government-funded
housing. Many people who live in public housing
are especially affected by secondhand smoke,
including the elderly, children, and people with
disabilities. A few cities have passed laws
restricting smoking in multiunit housing and
several hundred housing authorities have
adopted smokefree policies. However, in
buildings without restrictions, smoke from
common areas or other units where smoking
occurs can seep into smokefree units.
What's the Solution?
There are many ways to protect people from
secondhand smoke exposure.
Parents can ensure their homes and vehicles are
smokefree and keep their children away from
public places where smoking is allowed. In this
video, Jessica, another participant in the Tips
From Former Smokers campaign, advises
parents on protecting their children from
secondhand smoke exposure.
Housing authorities and landlords can make their
properties—especially multiunit buildings—
smokefree to protect the health of all residents.
For example, all 20 public housing authorities in
Maine have made their buildings smokefree.

5. Cities and states can pass smokefree laws to
protect nonsmokers in all indoor workplaces,
restaurants, bars, and CASINOS, and can work
to increase availability of smokefree multiunit
housing. In California, 15 counties and cities
[707KB] have passed ordinances restricting
smoking in multiunit housing.
By working together, individuals and
communities can eliminate the serious health
hazards for nonsmokers that can result from
exposure to secondhand smoke.