Effects of Second Hand Smoke on Your Family

Second hand smoke is tobacco smoke that is inhaled involuntary by someone other than the smoker. It is also known as environmental smoke and comes in two forms:

Sidestream smoke: Smoke that comes directly from the tobacco product (cigarette, cigar, pipe etc).

Mainstream smoke: Smoke that has been breathed out by the smoker.

Second hand smoke contains over 4000 chemicals and poisons, and is just as dangerous to human health as the smoke that is breathed in directly by a smoker. Every day millions of people around the world are exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke.

Out of these millions, the ones that suck in the most of this poisonous air are sadly, the families of the smoker. These are people that the smokers love the most in the world, the people that they are supposed to cherish and protect. Yet everyday smokers endanger the health and even the lives of their loved ones.

Let’s have a look at some of the more common problems that the families of smokers have from frequently breathing in other family members second hand smoke.

A non-smoking partner of a smoker has a 30% increased chance of developing lung disease and a 20% increased chance of developing lung cancer.

Other common health problems include nasal sinus cancer, stroke and a weakened immune system (which can lead to number of illnesses). Breathing problems are very common and include constant coughing, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.

The infants and children of smoking parents are particularly susceptible to the effects of second hand smoke. Their bodies are still developing and cannot handle the pressure of dealing with all the toxins and poisons. The chances of an infant dying from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) quadruples in a smoking household.

Other common health problems include ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma. Second hand smoke has even been linked to behavioural and learning difficulties in children.

There are other family members who are often overlooked when it comes to the dangers of second hand smoke, the family pets.

Cancer of the lungs and nasal cavities are frequently found in dogs who live in a smoking home. Cats show a high rate of oral cancers because they are constantly licking the carcinogens from tobacco smoke that build up in their fur. Birds show many problems including lung cancer and pneumonia as well as problems with their eyes, skin, heart and reproductive organs.

It is common for pets living in a smoking home to suffer from tobacco poisoning because they have eaten tobacco products left lying around.

The above afflictions I have mentioned are but a few examples from a very long list of problems associated with second hand smoke. I used to smoke and I hate to admit this but I honestly didnt care if my family members breathed in my second hand smoke.

I consider myself a considerate person, but when I wanted a cigarette all consideration for my loved ones went out the window. Why? Because my addiction to tobacco was at such a level that thinking about others just wasn’t a priority. I wanted a cigarette and nothing, not even the well being of my family was going to stop me.

It wasn’t until I was free from smoking that I realised just how selfish I was being.

We are supposed to protect our families from the evil and harms of the world, not bring it into their lives on a daily basis. How will you feel standing over the hospital bed of a loved one or even worse attending their funeral when it was your smoking habit that did this to them?

If you never think about this than maybe you should start, it may be all the motivation you need to quit.