Second hand smoke is a toxic cocktail consisting of poisons and carcinogens. There are over 4000 chemical compounds in second hand smoke; 200 of which are known to be poisonous, and upwards of 60 have been identified as carcinogens.

When a cigarette is smoked, about half of the smoke is inhaled / exhaled (mainstream smoke) by the smoker and the other half floats around in the air (sidestream smoke).

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) plays a part in more health problems than you might realize. The following facts point out why it is so important to have smoking bans in place. No one should be forced to breathe in air tainted with cigarette smoke.

Second Hand Smoke and Cancer

The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has classified second hand smoke as a Group A carcinogen.

Cancers linked to passive smoking include:

* Lung cancer - 3000 nonsmokers die every year from lung cancer caused by ETS
* Nasal sinus cavity cancer
* Cervical Cancer
* Breast cancer
* Bladder cancer

Some chemical compounds found in smoke only become carcinogenic after they’ve come into contact with certain enzymes found in many of the tissues of the human body.

The Risks of Second Hand Smoke to a Child

* Low birthweight for gestational age
* Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)- children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have an increased risk of SIDS.
* The EPA estimates that passive smoking is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 of these infections in children under 18 months annually
* Asthma - According to the EPA, between 200,000 and 1,000,000 kids with asthma have their condition worsened by second hand smoke every year. Also, passive smoking may also be responsible for thousands of new cases of asthma every year
* Chronic respiratory symptoms such as cough and wheezing may be attributed to second hand smoke.
* Children who breathe in second hand smoke are more likely to suffer from dental cavities, eye and nose irritation, and irritability
* Middle ear infections - exposure to ETS causes buildup of fluid in the middle ear, resulting in 700,000 to 1.6 million physician office visits yearly

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