Secondhand Smoke Facts

Secondhand Smoke Facts

• Secondhand smoke from cigarettes has a profound effect on children. Children experience a higher risk for asthma flare-ups, infected ears, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and respiratory complications.
• Secondhand smoke is riddled with harmful chemicals and toxins. For example, increased cancer risk is linked to 69 substances, and over 250 cause adverse health effects.
• It's a myth that minimal smoke exposure is harmless. No amount of exposure is completely safe.
• Secondhand smoke is detrimental to unborn children. Additionally, this applies to women who smoke while pregnant. A heightened risk of miscarriages, underweight babies, stillborn births, and secondary pregnancy complications are all possibilities.
• Infants up to 18 months old have an increase in bronchitis and pneumonia. Annually, this adds up to new cases in the hundreds of thousands.
• Deaths caused by lung cancer is significantly increased. From secondhand smoke alone, annually, the predicted number is 3,400 new cases in the United States, and the risk of contracting it later is increased by 20%-30%.
• As reported by the CDC (Centers For Disease Control And Prevention), African-Americans are more susceptible to heightened exposure to secondhand smoke than all other races or ethnic subgroups.
• In the workforce, the most severe levels of secondhand smoke exposure are amongst sector workers in the manufacturing and construction industry, working black men, and service workers of blue-collar professions.
• Poverty-level-income individuals are at the highest risk for exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Instantaneous health effects negatively occur within the body due to secondhand smoke exposure. In addition, harmful complications regarding the respiratory system and inflammatory response can occur as little as an hour after exposure, which can be felt for at least 3 hours minimum.
• The circulatory system is directly impacted by secondhand smoke exposure. Not only is it harmful to the walls of our blood vessels, but the risk for stickier blood platelets also increases. As a direct result, a person can become more susceptible to a heart attack.
• Kids who breathe in secondhand smoke are at a higher risk of suffering from asthma-like symptoms; this includes shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing fits.

Tips For Detoxing From Secondhand Smoke

• Avoid physical contact with someone after they've smoked. The toxins and chemicals from smoking will linger on their clothes, bodies, and the air around them.
• Encourage blood circulation and toxin removal by drinking plenty of water. Ensure you remain well hydrated throughout the day.
• Spend the majority of your time in well-ventilated indoor and outdoor settings. Avoid places with excessive smoking is likely, such as bars, parties, and the vehicles of smokers.
• Improve lung strength and capacity with specialized physical activity such as yoga and deep breathing workouts.