For a long time, exposure to other people’s smoke was not considered a threat to health, but recent research has shown that the dangers of passive smoking are serious. It has now been proved that those who inhale other people’s smoke, either exhaled by the smoker or inhaled directly from the burning cigarette, are at risk of all the same diseases as the active smoker. This has strengthened the case for a smoking ban in public places, already enforced in Ireland and now in Wales.

Attention has usually been focused on children, but research indicates that everyone, from babies to the elderly is more susceptible to disease if spending time in the company of smokers. In fact research in both Spain and Italy has shown that tobacco fumes are 20 times more toxic than are exhaust fumes!

Children who live with parents who are smokers are more likely to suffer from asthma and ear infections and if already asthmatic, smoke can bring on an attack. Other immediate results are coughing, headaches and nausea. Further long-term effects include possible cardiovascular problems. The World Health Organization has estimated that 50% of the world’s children are exposed to smoke in the environment, which could have shocking effects over the long term.

The main illnesses associated with smoking are lung cancer and heart disease and it may come as a surprise to learn that breathing in someone else’s smoke can put you at risk of exactly the same health problems. In fact, if you are subjected to passive smoking over time, you have a 20-30% increase of getting lung cancer and for heart disease the figure is between 25-35%. Most alarmingly, the possible increase in risk of stroke is over 80%.

If you are a smoker you need to be aware of the dangers of passive smoking. It’s one thing harming yourself, but do you really want to harm those around you, especially your children?

© Waller Jamison 2007