We have a tendency to hear so many different myths and legends involving secondhand smoke, but the unfortunate truth is quite simple. Many of the things that we read and hear about second hand smoke are fiction at best and outright lies at worst.
And because of the many untruths that we read on the Internet or hear about in news segments, we have to take the time to discover the truth on our own.
This can be daunting and difficult for many, so most people typically ignore the facts because they do not want to do the research in the first place.
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The Dangers of Secondhand Smoke
Let’s face it, nobody likes to be around smoke
We’ve taken the guesswork out of secondhand smoke facts.
We’ve used the most well-respected health journals of the day to gather information about the truth. We will lay this truth out to you below, so pay attention to every word we are about to write on this topic.
If you are concerned about secondhand smoke for any reason, then this is an important topic that you need to know and understand.
Facts About Smoking Second Hand and Exposure
1. Causes Negative Health Effects in Children
Children will experience negative health effects if they are exposed to secondhand smoke too often.
Some of the effects include:
2. Affects Non-smoking Adults
Second hand smoking affects adults that have never smoked in the following ways: poses an immediate and harmful effect on blood vessels leading to the heart.
And between the years 2005 through 2009 it is estimated that 34,000 people died from heart disease due to cigarette smoke exposure.
3. Causes Lung Cancer
In regard to adults that have never smoked, it is estimated that 7500 people per year die from lung cancer to exposure to secondhand smoke in the United State of America.
This is a difficult fact to deal with because these individuals did not smoke cigarettes themselves but spent time in the vicinity of those that do smoke cigarettes.
If you are a smoker you need to take it outside.
Stop exposing your friends and loved ones to the deadly chemicals and carcinogens smoke. You are unintentionally harming those that you care about the most.
4. Causes Strokes
There is a link between second hand smoke and strokes in those who do not actively smoke cigarettes.
While we do not have any estimated figures to share at this time, please note that there is a definite link and this serious problem needs to be treated as such.
5. Causes Disease-Related Deaths
Between the years 1964 and 2004, it is estimated that 2.5 million people have died from diseases caused by secondhand smoke.
Again, as with all of the facts and figures mentioned above, the individuals in question were not cigarette smokers themselves.
They were exposed to the carcinogens in cigarette smoke because of their friends and coworkers were smokers and were not careful about who they smoked around.
6. Contains Harmful Chemicals
Cigarettes contain harmful chemicals. We all know it at this point.
Even if you do not smoke and are exposed to secondhand smoke, you will unfortunately experience the effects of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes.
There are literally hundreds of toxic chemicals in cigarettes that you are exposed to every time you are around somebody that is smoking.
Some of the most toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke include hydrogen cyanide, arsenic ammonia, vinyl chloride, benzene, formaldehyde and other carcinogens.
7. Reduces Productivity
Whether you realize it or not, secondhand smoke has a negative effect in the workplace as far as productivity is concerned.
It is estimated that $5.6 billion are lost every year due to low productivity because of secondhand smoke.
The lost productivity cannot be recovered, so if you work in an environment where there is a lot of smoke, it’s in your best interest to change the rules so that smoking is no longer allowed.
8. Causes Lower Respiratory Infections in Children
Lower respiratory infections in children: at this time, exposure to second hand smoke is estimated to cause 150,000 to 300,000 doctor visits per year due to children fewer than 18 months of age and infants experiencing lower respiratory tract infections.
Clearly, exposure poses serious problems and causes serious potential harm. If you smoke, do yourself, your friends and loved ones a favor and take it outside.
3 Myths About Second Hand Smoke
The truth is that there is one major second-hand smoke myth that seems to be very pervasive in society right now. But this is barely just scratching the surface because in reality there are a number of different myths in relation to secondhand smoke.
We will take the time to discuss these myths with you today.
Ultimately, the less exposure to secondhand smoke the better, as you are going to learn when we reveal some myth-busting startling statistics below.
Let’s get into this without further delay.
Myth #1: Second Hand Smoke Does Not Cause Cancer
As you can imagine, it would be really nice if this myth were actually true. Nobody wants to get cancer from secondhand smoke. Who wants to get sick because of somebody else’s nasty habit?
But here’s the honest-to-goodness truth…
In the last 50 years, it is estimated that 2.5 million people in the United States of America have died from cancer-related illnesses due to second hand smoke exposure. Obviously, avoiding secondhand smoke at all costs is going to be the best way to refrain from any of the illnesses related to this nasty habit.
Many people hope and pray that secondhand smoke does not cause cancer. But hoping and praying will not keep you out of the hospital, so stay far away from cigarette smokers since you do not want to unintentionally get cancer because you were too close to one or more people that like to smoke cigarettes.
Unfortunately, as smokers, their cancer risks are very great. Those exposed to secondhand smoke have much less of a risk, but there are no guarantees that you will stay cancer-free if you choose to avoid this advice and expose yourself to secondhand smoke.
Nobody wants to get cancer obviously. So do everything in your power to stay cancer-free by staying away from people smoking cigarettes in enclosed spaces.
To make this very clear, secondhand smoke is linked to causing breast cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, nasal sinus cavity cancer, and children have also developed brain tumors because of too much cigarette smoke exposure.
Myth #2: Second Hand Smoke Does Not Cause Harm to Children
As crazy as it sounds, some cigarette addicts actually believe secondhand smoke will not cause any harm to their children. They continue to smoke around their children at all times, without any regard for the negative effects it will have on their health and physical development.
Unfortunately for these people, they are so addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes that they are blinded to the truth about second hand smoke. They continue to believe in the myths telling them no harm will come to their children because they smoke cigarettes around them.
But the facts are very clear.
Second hand smoke poses serious problems for children of all ages. This nasty habit, and the smoke that affects children, is linked to all kinds of unwanted sicknesses and diseases.
Children exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis will often experience more of the following: sneezing, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and other respiratory symptoms; ear infections, severe/frequent asthma attacks, pneumonia, bronchitis, and newborns and infants under the age of 18 months are more susceptible to SIDS, also known as sudden infant death syndrome.
Clearly, cigarette smokers need to limit, or eliminate entirely, their children’s exposure to the toxins and chemicals in cigarette smoke.
In all honesty, quitting smoking will be just as good for their health as it will be for the health of their children.
Myth #3: Second Hand Smoke Does Not Cause Cardiovascular Disease
Finally, the last myth that we will discuss is in relation to heart disease and other heart-related illnesses. Cardiovascular disease is a serious problem, and it happens to be the number one killer in the United States of America at this time.
For those of you smoking cigarettes around your friends and loved ones, you are making them more susceptible to cardiovascular disease than they actually should be. So stop smoking in front of these people and allow them the opportunity to live a healthier life.
It is estimated that 34,000 Americans die from cardiovascular disease each year because of their exposure to secondhand smoke. This is a sad statistic because 34,000 lives are lost each year because cigarette smokers choose to smoke in front of their friends and loved ones instead of taking them outside. What a sad statistic indeed.
As you can see, there is more than just one second-hand smoke myth. Hopefully, we’ve helped to dispel these myths today.
