Passive smoking and its harms: is the truth so gloomy?

There is no doubt that smoking is a dangerous habit. But what about secondhand smoke and its damage? Is there a real risk to our health when exposed to cigarette smoke from an external source, in addition to the stench and choking sensation?

What is secondhand smoke?

Passive smoking is known to inhale smoke from a burning cigarette, with smoke coming out of the mouth or nose of a smoker. Exposure to secondhand smoke occurs everywhere where people smoke: at work, at home, in public places, or in a private car. Usually, secondhand smoke is caused by cigarette smoking, but also by pipe, cigar, hookah and other tobacco products that release smoke.

The amount of smoke emitted from tobacco products depends on the amount of tobacco in it. For example a single average cigar can release a quantity similar to the amount of smoke emitted by half a packet of cigarettes.

It is difficult to determine the extent of exposure, but it is possible to measure the level of nicotine or other chemicals found in cigarettes in the air of the room. The level of codeine (a byproduct of nicotine degradation in our body) can also be measured in the passive smoker's blood or saliva so that the degree of exposure can be assessed.

Passive smoking and its harms: is exposure to secondhand smoke can cause cancer?

In tobacco smoke from the regular cigarette there are about 7,000 chemicals, of which at least 250 are hazardous, such as cyanide, carbon monoxide and ammonia. At least 69 chemicals emitted from cigarette burning that are inhaled in the case of secondhand smoke are found to be carcinogenic or suspected to be carcinogenic, including: arsenic, benzene, beryllium (toxic metal), cadmium, chromium, ethylene-oxide, nickel, vinyl-chloride.

If so, the answer is yes. The Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have identified negative smoking and its damage as carcinogenic, which is a risk factor for cancer.

Passive smoking can lead to lung cancer in adults who do not smoke. It is estimated that secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer by 20-30%. Passive smoking may also encourage the development of other types of cancers, such as oral and pharyngeal cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer and cancer Breast in women, lymphoma, leukemia, and brain tumors in children.

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Secondhand smoke and other harms:

• Secondhand smoke has an immediate and harmful effect on the cardiovascular system: Passive smoking increases the risk of heart disease by 25%. Passive smokers are also at greater risk of stroke.

• Passive smoking leads to irritation of the respiratory tract: inhaled substances destroy the small hairs in the respiratory tract which help in the removal of particles and bacteria, leading to their accumulation and to increase the incidence of inflammation in the respiratory system.

• Passive smoking increases the risk of asthma in children and exacerbates the disease: they may also suffer from bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory tract infections and ears. In infants, secondhand smoke also harms the sudden death of a cradle. It was also found that the effects of secondhand smoke continue beyond childhood and are reflected by stunted growth and damage to academic achievement.

• Passive smoking harms the embryos of pregnant women who are exposed to smoke: even pregnant women who are not smoking but who are exposed to cigarette smoke may endanger the life of the fetus. Studies have shown that passive smoking and its damage during pregnancy increases the risk of a dead foetus being born at 23% and the risk of having a child with 13% bodily defects, such as women who are already smoking during pregnancy.

Is secondhand smoke safe?

There is no safe level for secondhand smoke. While the prevailing position of scientists is that the degree of damage is dose-specific, there is no precise measure of exposure measurement, and even a little exposure to cigarette smoke may cause damage.

The best way to protect ourselves from secondhand smoke and its disadvantages is to avoid staying completely indoor where smokers. There is a law enacted in many countries of the world "Law on restriction of smoking in public places", which prohibits smoking in public places such as restaurants, cafes, shopping malls, hospitals, clinics, workplaces, schools, public transport, etc.