What is Secondhand Smoke and How to Get Rid of It
Even if you do not smoke, you run the chance of acquiring lung cancer just because you are near a smoker.
The reason? Secondhand smoke!
What is secondhand smoke? And why will you get cancer just by being near someone who is smoking?
This blog can answer all your questions and help you understand how inhaling smoke can affect you. So read on to know more.
What is secondhand smoke, and why should you be concerned?
Tobacco products can be harmful to you, even if you are not an active smoker. When a smoker smokes, they exhale smoke, and their burning cigarette too emits smoke. This smoke, when inhaled, causes health hazards due to the harmful ingredients present in them.
This smoke is what causes smokers to be affected. This is a proven fact that is known to all. However, there is another small point that is often ignored. This is the fact that non-smoking people, when they inhale this smoke, they too acquire the same problems. This is what is known as Passive or secondhand smoking.
There is no safe limit to secondhand smoke exposure. Even when you inhale a small amount, your chances of getting affected increase. To put it in perspective for you, secondhand smoke was the leading cause of death in 2019, leading to 1.3 million deaths. Shocking, right?
You might have crossed a smoker in public and inhaled a bit of the smoke. This simple act of inhaling can be life-threatening to you.
Second-hand smoke – What health concerns can you get due to it?
Take a typical cigarette. It looks like a harmless stick, right? Would you believe us if we said that that one pipe holds almost 7000 chemicals?
And out of those 7000 chemicals, 69 of them can induce cancer (carcinogenic) in our body, and 250 of them are harmful to you.
And here is another fun fact for you: the smoke from a burning cigarette is much more harmful to you than the smoke exhaled by a smoker. Wonder why? It is because of the unfiltered nature of the smoke released from cigarettes.
So, what are some of the health problems that you might get when you are exposed to secondhand smoke for a long duration?
1. Lung diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
2. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma
3. High blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and stroke are common symptoms
4. When pregnant women come in contact with second-hand smoke, the child is born with a low birth weight
How to get rid of secondhand smoke?
Now that you know the hazards of secondhand smoke, let’s explore ways to eradicate it from your life.
1. If you are someone who smokes, then the best way to safeguard your loved ones is to quit. No amount of air conditioners, filters, or ventilation can safely get rid of secondhand smoke, and there are no safe exposure limits. Therefore, consider the well-being of your family and friends and use that as a motivation to quit smoking.
2. Spread awareness among your peers about the dangers of secondhand smoke and avoid being a part of events that involve smoking. Try to avoid public places that have smoking rooms and look for areas that strictly prohibit smoking. If you own a business, take extra measures to provide a smoke-free environment for your employees.
3. No form of cigarette, such as E-cigarettes, cigars, or vaping, is safe for you. The smoke from all these products contains cancer-causing ingredients. Therefore, do not move on to a different form of cigarette and work towards quitting the habit as a whole. If you decide to leave, seek the help of professionals and adopt proven methods to help you quit.
Final Thoughts:
We all know smoking causes harm to us. But still, we have trouble letting go of that habit because of the pleasure and addiction we have to it. The sense of relief and stress-reduction smoking provides us is unparalleled.
But is putting our loved ones at risk for this sense of temporary gratification even worth it?
When you smoke, you put the aged parents at your home, your little one, and your life partner at risk because they choose to be in the same room as you.
They, too, run the risk of getting a myriad of diseases solely because they inhale invisible smoke.
Consider all these the next time you light up a cigarette, and we are sure you would instead not do it. And no, you cannot just smoke in the next room and protect your family. No matter how much you try, you cannot ventilate secondhand smoke thoroughly.
So take this as an encouragement and work towards quitting your smoking habit. Remove cigarettes from your daily life and better protect your family and friends from the dangers of smoke and tobacco. Let us make better decisions for a happy, peaceful life.
FAQs:
1. Is secondhand smoke harmful to me?
Yes, you can get affected by secondhand smoke as well. Your risk of getting lung cancer, asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases is high when you inhale secondhand smoke.
2. Is secondhand smoke as harmful as regular smoking?
No, secondhand smoke is not as harmful as regular smoking. Even though this is the case, secondhand smoke cannot be taken lightly. Cigarettes are so potent that even though you are a non-smoker and occasionally inhale that smoke, it can make you get affected. All the health risks that smokers face apply to secondhand smokers as well.
3. Can secondhand smoke cause asthma in adults?
Yes, you can get asthma from secondhand smoking as an adult. Other diseases such as COPD, arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular disorders, and so on can also affect you, provided that you are exposed to secondhand smoke for a long duration.
Sources:
1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10644-secondhand-smoke-dangers
