Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke from the burning end of combustible tobacco products and the smoke exhale by the smoker. Secondhand smoke contains toxic chemicals that are harmful making it unsafe to be exposed to secondhand smoke. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure; brief exposure to secondhand smoke can be harmful to health. Secondhand smoke exposure can cause cancer, heart attack, respiratory problem and cardiovascular diseases. Secondhand smoke is dangerous to the health of children; it can cause ear infection, respiratory problems and sudden infant death syndrome. Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic and about 70 that can cause cancer. Individuals, organizations and communities can take steps to protect themselves, employees and community members from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
Steps to Eliminating Secondhand Smoke