Secondhand Tobacco: A Killer is Loose in Your House

Tobacco consumption has been one of the most devastating epidemics that the human race has faced. Because of its total preventability, the tobacco epidemic is a multi-dimensional tragedy, involving an incredible number of lives lost, manifold illnesses that tobacco has been causing – including cancers, chronic lung disease and heart disease – and the fact that, despite its devastation, the number of addicts continues to grow. Tobacco companies and the media continue to portray smoking as glamorous and fashionable. And so the addiction continues.

Although the detriments of smoking have long been known, its devastating effect on those who have secondary exposure to tobacco has been studied in depth only recently.

What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoking (SHS) is one of several terms used for the involuntary exposure of nonsmokers to tobacco smoke. The smoke inhaled by nonsmokers often is referred to as environmental tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke. At present, 1.1 billion adults worldwide are smokers, implying that some SHS exposure is almost unavoidable for children and the two-thirds of adults who do not smoke.

SHS is a mixture of sidestream smoke given off by a smoldering cigarette (or pipe or cigar) and of mainstream smoke that is exhaled back into the air by active smokers. Sidestream smoke, generated under the lower temperature conditions in the smoldering cigarette, has higher concentrations of many of the toxic compounds found in mainstream smoke, including nicotine and carbon monoxide. However, it is quickly diluted as it moves away from the cigarette to contaminate the immediate environment.

There is no doubt that SHS is a direct cause of mortality (deaths) and morbidity (illnesses). This conclusion has been reached by organizations such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the U.S. Surgeon General, the U.S. National Research Council and the WHO (World Health Organization). For example, exposure to SHS was shown to be responsible for more than 600,000 premature deaths worldwide in a 2004 statistical modeling study. Twenty-eight percent of the mortality and 61% of the morbidity were seen in children.

Secondhand smoke and children

SHS wreaks myriad and multiple adverse effects in children. For example, children exposed to SHS have more days of restricted activity (ill at home), more days of being sick in bed and more days of missing school than children who have not been exposed.

SHS exposure of the fetus in the womb (when the mother is pregnant) can have devastating effects on the newborn. Adverse effects include growth retardation, congenital anomalies, prematurity and increased perinatal mortality (stillbirths), and even cognitive (brain) impairment.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) refers to the unexpected death of a seemingly healthy infant. An estimated 25% to 40% of SIDS cases are related to smoking during pregnancy. The 2006 U.S. Surgeon General’s report states that tobacco smoke exposure is one of the major preventable risk factors for SIDS and that all measures should be taken to protect infants from SHS exposure.

Respiratory symptoms and illnesses

Numerous studies show a greater frequency of the most common respiratory symptoms – cough, breathlessness, phlegm (sputum
production) and wheezing – in the children of smokers. The highest risks for  these symptoms occur in children when both parents smoke.

Additionally, infants with parents who smoke have an increased risk of developing bronchitis and pneumonia during the first year of life. These young children undergo blood tests and X-rays more often and have a greater need for antibiotics. One study estimated that 165,000 children younger than age 5 die annually because of lower-respiratory infections attributable to SHS. It has been established that exposure to SHS is associated with increased rates of asthma as well as greater severity of asthma. Also, SHS-exposed children have decreased lung function and enter adulthood with decreased pulmonary reserve (the additional volume of air you can breathe when you use your lungs at full capacity during times of stress). Finally, SHS is associated with increased rates of middle-ear infection.

And there’s more. Additional effects of SHS include increased rates of childhood and adult cancers, dental cavities and even higher risk of future heart disease. Recently, a study found that children living with a smoker have higher rates of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children who live in smoke-free homes.

In summary, SHS exposure is associated with increased infant and childhood mortality and morbidity. These conditions are not limited to the respiratory system; rather, they manifest as a variety of illnesses and disorders, including behavioral abnormalities.

What should I do?

If you are a smoker, start NOW, TODAY to make every possible effort to quit. It would be the single most effective step you can take in improving your and your family’s health. See your physician and ask for help if you need assistance to get over the cravings.

If you are not a smoker but live with someone who is, persuade him/her to do the same. Show them this article. Help your housemate to make an appointment with his/her family doctor and set a date to quit smoking. Use all your powers: love, persuasion, pleading, insistence and warnings. It may save your life.