This article looks at the various health hazards of inhaling secondhand tobacco smoke.
Secondhand Smoke and Cardiovascular Disease
- Inhaling secondhand smoke increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 25% to 30%.
- Secondhand smoke affects the functioning of the vascular systems, blood and heart in such ways as to raise the risk of cardiac events.
- Even a brief exposure to secondhand smoke causes changes that can lead to cardiovascular diseases.
- Even brief exposures to secondhand smoke can make the blood stickier, affect blood vessel linings, alter blood circulation as well as rate of heart beat. All these effects have the potential to raise the chances of getting a heart attack.
- Passive smoking can trigger acute manifestations of cardiovascular disease.
- Inhaling secondhand smoke can cause a recurrence in patients who have previously suffered a cardiac event.
- Nonsmokers living with smoking spouses face a 30% extra risk of suffering ischemic heart disease.
- Women non-smokers living with husbands who smoke a pack of cigarettes each day, face 62% more chances of stroke.
- Non-smoking women who are exposed to secondhand smoke face a 15% increased risk of dying because of heart disease.
Nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke primarily at workplaces and homes. They may also inhale secondhand smoke in private vehicles, bars and restaurants.
Facts About Environmental Tobacco Smoke
- About 50% of the children in the world, totaling about 700 million, are forced to inhale secondhand tobacco smoke, especially at home.
- A survey reveals about 44% of juveniles aged between 13 to 15 years inhale secondhand smoke at home. About 56% of these students inhale secondhand smoke in public areas.
- In the U.S., about 60% of children aged between three to 11 years, totaling about 22 million, inhale secondhand smoke regularly.
- In Argentina, about 68% of children inhale secondhand tobacco smoke at home.
- Annually, about 200,000 workers die because of exposure to secondhand smoke at work.
- In China, secondhand smoke kills more women than active smoking. In 2002, 48,400 Chinese women died because of ischemic heart disease and lung cancer caused by passive smoking. In comparison, 47,300 women died because of heart disease and lung cancer caused by active smoking.
- Workplace policies restricting smoking seem to be encouraging active smokers to stop their dreadful habit.
