Promoting a Smoke Free Environment

Vocabulary: environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), mainstream smoke, side stream smoke

Health Risks of Tobacco Smoke

Main Idea: Tobacco smoke can harm nonsmokers.

The health effects of tobacco smoke affect smokers and nonsmokers alike. Nonsmokers who breathe air containing tobacco smoke are also at risk for health problems. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), or secondhand smoke, is air that has been contaminated by tobacco smoke. ETS is composed of mainstream smoke, the smoke exhaled from the lungs of a smoker, and side stream smoke, the smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar. Because mainstream smoke has been exhaled by a smoker, it contains lower concentrations of carcinogens, nicotine, and tar. For this reason, side stream smoke is more dangerous than mainstream smoke. ETS from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 50 of those chemicals are cancer causing carcinogens. Some studies show that infants and young children who are exposed to ETS are more likely to develop asthma than their peers who are not exposed to ETS. Inhaling ETS is a serious health risk.

Health Risks to Nonsmokers

Secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 deaths from lung cancer every year. ETS causes eye irritation, headaches, ear infections, and coughing in people of all ages. It worsens asthma and other respiratory problems, and it increases the risk of coronary heart disease.

Health Risks to Unborn Children and Infants

Choosing to live tobacco-free is one of the healthiest choices a pregnant female can make for her baby. Smoking during pregnancy can seriously harm the developing fetus. Nicotine passes through the placenta, constricting the blood vessels of the fetus. Carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen levels in the blood of the mother and fetus. This increases the risk of impaired fetal growth, spontaneous miscarriage and prenatal death, premature delivery, low birth weight, deformities, and stillbirths. The infant may also suffer from growth and developmental problems during early childhood.

Babies of mothers who smoked during pregnancy or who are exposed to ETS are more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Infants exposed to ETS after birth are twice as likely to die of SIDS. They may have severe asthma attacks, ear infections, or respiratory tract infections.

Health Risks to Young Children

Young children are particularly sensitive to ETS. Children of smokers are more likely to be in poor health than children of nonsmokers. Consider these facts:

Children of smokers tend to have a higher incidence of sore throats, ear infections, and upper respiratory problems than children of nonsmokers.
Secondhand smoke can slow lung development. Children who live with smokers are more likely to have weaker lungs than children of nonsmokers.
Also, children learn by example. The children of smokers are more than twice as likely to smoke themselves.

Reducing Your Risks

Main Idea: You can take action to reduce the effects of ETS.

Since you spend so much time in your home, you can make an effort to minimize the health effects of ETS. If a family member smokes, encourage that person to quit by telling him or her the health effects of tobacco smoke. Try to establish smoke-free areas in the house, or make a rule that smokers go outside. If a smoker cannot always smoke outside, air cleaners can help remove some contaminants from the air. Open windows to allow fresh air in. If you have a visitor who smokes, politely request that he or she does not smoke inside your home. If you are visiting a home in which someone smokes, try to stay outside or in a different room as much as possible. Ask to open the windows to provide fresh air. Suggest meeting elsewhere, such as in your home or at a library. In restaurants and other public places, request seating in a nonsmoking area. Express your preference wherever you can for a smoke-free environment.

Creating a Smoke-Free Society

Main Idea: In most states, it is illegal to sell tobacco to teens under the age of 18, and it is illegal to smoke in public places.

Medical research shows that any exposure to secondhand smoke can cause health problems. When a smoker chooses to smoke, that person makes a decision that affects his or her health, and the health of others. In the United States, efforts to create a smoke-free society continue to grow. The health effects of tobacco use, and the cost of health-related illnesses are just some of the reasons for this movement.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the only way to fully protect people from the damaging health effects of ETS prohibit smoking in public places. Many states now prohibit smoking in any workplace. Advertisements aimed at young people encourage them not to smoke, and public service announcements encourage parents not to smoke near their children.

Supporting National Health Goals

One of the goals of Healthy People 2018 is to reduce tobacco use and the number of tobacco-related deaths. States and local communities are also supporting the efforts to create a smoke-free society. Laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors have been enacted. Some states have successfully sued tobacco companies to recover the costs of treating tobacco-related illnesses. The money awarded in these cases may be used to fund anti-smoking campaigns or to offset the medical costs related to tobacco use. Community activities that promote a healthy lifestyle provide everyone with the opportunity to practice healthful behaviors. These activities allow anyone to become a role model encouraging others to avoid tobacco use.