Does someone around you smoke? Do your friends smoke? If so you could be taking in all those deadly chemicals that come out through the smoke. When you’re around people who smoke you probably think that you’re safe if you don’t smoke, but the awful truth is that you’re NOT. Secondhand smoke is when you breathe in all the smoke from a burning cigarette, cigar, and pipe also about anything that burns and lets out smoke. Some facts about secondhand smoke is that the smoke from a burning cigarette is deadlier than the smoke that is inhaled by the smoker them self. Second hand smoke contains more than 4,000 ingredients and more than 40 of them are known to cause cancer to humans and also animals. The result of secondhand smoke is about 3,000 non smoker deaths caused by breathing in someone else’s smoke. Breathing in secondhand smoke is also known to cause heart attacks and give heart disease. In children and teens secondhand smoke is known to slow lung growth and cause heart problems.
When you get second hand smoke you automatically won’t die, but it’ll make you really sick. The side effects of second hand smoke are:
In children
· middle ear infections
· lower respiratory illnesses
· the start of asthma and worsening of asthmatic symptoms
· reduced lung growth
· sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, or cot death)
· Meningococcal disease
In general population
· irritated eyes, nose and throat
· headaches
· dizziness
· increased risk for infections and illnesses
In 2006 a bill was passed called the Smoke Free Work Places Bill. This bill says that all public places that have two walls and a roof are not to be smoked at. When you smoke you have to be at least 20 feet from the closed area. This bill helps non smokers have rights, just like smokers do.
You can stand up against second hand smoke and choose to be smoke free and stay away from smoking entirely. Take a stand and think about the risks of second hand smoke before you or someone close to you lights up.
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