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Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand Smoke
SECONDHAND SMOKE
because they make the eyes burn when somebody tries to sit around a smoker.
More than
4000
different chemical
compounds have been identified by scientists in ETS, including nicotine, carbon monoxide, ammonia, formaldehyde, arsenic, dioxins and furans. At least
43
cigarette is not inhaled by the smoker but enters into the surrounding environment. The contaminated air is inhaled by anyone in that area. Secondhand smoke contaminates the air and is also retained in clothing, curtains and furniture. ETS is unpleasant, annoying, and irritating to the eyes and nose
cancer. Others are known or suspected mutagens, capable of changing the genetic structure of cells. Many of the components of ETS are also found in industrial effluents where they are treated as hazardous waste. It contains the same number of toxic chemicals as the smoke inhaled by the smoker.
SECONDHAND SMOKE
20-
30%.
carcinogen!
Some research have also revealed that secondhand smoke may increase the risk of breast cancer, nasal sinus cavity cancer, and nasopharyngeal cancer in adults, and leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors in children. Exposure to secondhand smoke also irritates the airways and has immediate harmful effects on a persons heart and blood vessels. It may increase the risk of
SECONDHAND SMOKE ages. It increases both the frequency and severity of childhood asthma. Second hand smoke can aggravate sinusitis, rhinitis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic respiratory problems such as cough and postnasal drip. It also increases the number of children's colds and sore throats. In children under two years of age, ETS exposure increases the likelihood of bronchitis and pneumonia. pressure equalization in the middle ear, leading to pain, fluid and infection. Ear infections are the most common cause of children's hearing loss.
4. The Brain:
Children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are more likely to suffer behavioural problems such as hyperactivity than children of nonsmoking mothers. Modest impairment in school performance and intellectual achievement has also been demonstrated. Children who have parents that smoke are almost twice as likely to start smoking as children with non-smoking parents.
3. The Ears:
Exposure to ETS increases both the number of ear infections a child will experience, and the duration of the illness. Inhaled smoke irritates the eustachian tube, which connects the back of the nose with the middle ear. This causes swelling and obstruction which interferes with