Can
you answer these questions?
-
What
is secondhand smoke?
-
How
does secondhand smoke affect health?
-
What
are the risks of secondhand smoke to children?
-
What
can you do to reduce your risks to secondhand smoke?
-
How
can you make your home smoke-free?
Read
on to find the answers.
Secondhand
smoke
Secondhand
smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a mixture
of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe,
or cigar, and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. This
mixture contains more than 4,000 substances, more than 40 of which
are known to cause cancer in humans or animals and many of which
are strong irritants. Exposure to secondhand smoke is called involuntary
smoking, or passive smoking.
Secondhand
smoke has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) as a known cause of lung cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).
The EPA estimates that secondhand smoking causes approximately 3,000
lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers each year.
Secondhand
smoke in the home
We
spend more time in our homes than anywhere else. So the thought
of cancer-causing chemicals circulating throughout our houses and
apartments can be quite unsettling. Yet, according to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), that is exactly what happens when someone
lights a cigarette in your home.
Those
most affected by secondhand smoke are children. Because their bodies
are still developing, exposure to the poisons in secondhand smoke
puts children in danger of severe respiratory diseases and can hinder
the growth of their lungs. On top of that, the effects can last
a lifetime.
The
EPA estimates that passive smoking is responsible for between 150,000
and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children
under 18 months of age annually, resulting in between 7,500 and
15,000 hospitalizations each year. Children exposed to secondhand
smoke are also more likely to have reduced lung function and symptoms
of respiratory irritation like cough, excess phlegm, and wheeze.
Passive
smoking can lead to buildup of fluid in the middle ear, the most
common cause of hospitalization of children for an operation. Children
with asthma are especially at risk. The EPA estimates that exposure
to secondhand smoke increases the number of episodes and severity
of symptoms in hundreds of thousands of children with asthma. Passive
smoking may also cause thousands of non-asthmatic children to develop
the condition each year.
How
to reduce the risk
Do
not smoke in your home or permit others to do so.
If
a family member insists on smoking indoors, increase ventilation
in the area where smoking takes place. Open windows or use exhaust
fans. Do not smoke if children are present, particularly infants
and toddlers. They are particularly susceptible to the effects of
passive smoking.
However,
ventilation systems in homes cannot filter and circulate air well
enough to eliminate secondhand smoke. Blowing smoke away from children,
going into another room to smoke, or opening a window may help reduce
children's exposure but will not protect them from the dangers of
secondhand smoke.
Benefits
of a smoke-free home
The
greatest benefit, of course, is that you will remove all the health
risks associated with secondhand tobacco smoke. Plus:
- When
your home is smoke-free, it will smell much better.
- Your
food will taste better.
- You'll
spend less time, energy, and money cleaning your curtains, walls,
windows, and mirrors.
- Your
insurance rates may be lower--check with your insurance company.
- Even
your pets will be happier. For example, secondhand smoke increases
the risk of lung cancer in dogs.
How
to make (and keep) your home smoke-free
It
may feel awkward at first to tell people not to smoke in your home--no
one wants to make guests uncomfortable--but if you simply explain
the facts about secondhand smoke, they should understand completely.
Tell
them that for the sake of your family's health, you simply cannot
allow smoking in your home. Have gum or mints available as an alternative
to lighting up. If visitors absolutely must smoke, tell them they
can do so outside.
If
someone in your household smokes, be sympathetic and understanding--but
encourage him or her to quit. Let that person know that cigarette
smoke affects everyone, not just the smoker. Let them know you care
and you want to help. Again, if someone absolutely must smoke, ask
that person to do so outside.
Don't
forget schools and day care
Make
sure your child's school and day care programs are smoke-free. And
insist that baby-sitters not smoke around your children.
Adapted
from: Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco
Copyright
© 2000 PersonalMD.com. All rights reserved.
|
Feature Archives