Health Consequences of Second Hand Smoke

Second hand smoke is a mixture of smoke that comes from the burning end of the cigarette,cigar or pipe (side stream smoke) and from smoke exhale by smokers (mainstream smoke). This consist of more than 4,000 substances, some are poisonous and causes lung cancer.The impact of second hand smoke on general health is debilitating. It causes premature deaths in children and diseases in non-smoker adults.
 

Children are at greater risk of being exposed to second hand smoke than adults. In children, it is associated with the initiation and severity of coughs, breathlessness, wheezing, and abdominal disorders.Children are expose from parental smoking and others house hold smokers. Second hand smoke is the 3rd leading cause of preventable death in the US.
When a pregnant women smokes or is a passive smoker, it affects the unborn child resulting in premature delivery of the baby, low birth weight, respiratory tract infections and asthma attacks. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy give birth to a low birth weight baby compared to non-smokers. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and after delivery results in low birth weight & slower growth in early childhood. Children exposed to second hand smoke are at increased risk for bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infection, increased frequency and severity of asthma, respiratory tract infections, otitis media, sinusitis, and behavioral & cognitive disorder and lower pulmonary function test resulting in adulthood.
 

The most common symptom arising from exposure to passive smoking is eye irritation. Parents needs counseling about the danger of child tobacco smoke exposure and the risk associated with smoking behavior. Parental awareness is a must to curb the menace of second hand smoking. Hence, it is a very crucial step to  educate parents about the importance of smoking cessation.This can be done by attending a smoking cessation program or by gaining a sense of self willingness to set a quit date or by use of nicotine replacement therapy. The most important factor in determining the success of a smoking cessation program is a desire of individual to quit.

The first step towards building a non-smoking society is by banning smoking in public places. The main advantage is, it helps protect non-smokers from the health risk of passive smoking. People at work or social gatherings will no longer expose to toxic second hand smoke. We can create a smoke free environment by placing 'no smoking' stickers in home and cars, designate a smoking area outside and always ask visitors to smoke outside. Healthy population ensures prosperity and progress.