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May 22, 2013
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Secondhand Smoke

Medical Author:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Secondhand Smoke Exposure Facts

Secondhand smoke is tobacco smoke that is breathed in by someone who is not smoking themselves. It occurs when a person is in the vicinity of a person who is smoking. Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke from the tobacco product itself (termed sidestream smoke) and exhaled smoke from the smoker (known as mainstream smoke).

The same chemicals, toxins, and cancer-causing substances are present in secondhand smoke as in active smoking; the person who inhales secondhand smoke is exposed to the same toxins as the smoker. Secondhand smoke is known to carry definite health risks for both adults and children. An increased risk of lung cancer is just one of the hazardous health effects of secondhand smoke.

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Health Complications from Secondhand Smoke

There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke and the U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that breathing even a little secondhand smoke poses a risk to your health.

Secondhand smoke can:

  • cause respiratory illnesses;
  • health consequences in the young;
  • increases the risk for acute respiratory infections, ear problems and more severe asthma.

Moreover, separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.

SOURCE: MedicineNet.com.

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