Passive smoking - Better Health Channel

Passive smoking means breathing in other people's tobacco smoke. The smoke drifting from a lit cigarette plus the smoke breathed out by a smoker is called ... 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SummaryReadthefullfactsheetPassivesmokingmeansbreathinginotherpeople’stobaccosmoke.Passivesmokingincreasestheriskofrespiratoryillnessesinchildren,includingasthma,bronchitisandpneumonia.Ifyoulivewithsomeonewhosmokes,youhaveahigherriskofdiseasessuchaslungcancer,heartdiseaseandstroke.Stoppingsmokingwillnotonlymakeyouhealthier,butwillalsoimprovethehealthofyourpartner,childrenorotherhouseholdmembers.Ifyouarenotreadytostop,makingyourhomeandcartotallysmoke-freeisthenextbestwaytoprotectyourfamilyfromsecond-handsmoke.InVictoria,itisillegaltosmokeincarscarryingpeopleunder18yearsofage.OnthispageTobaccolawsinVictoria Toxiceffectsofpassivesmoking Healthrisksofpassivesmoking–pregnantwomenandunbornbabies Healthrisksofpassivesmoking–children Healthrisksofpassivesmoking–partnerswhohaveneversmoked Yourfamilyandfriends–agoodreasontostopsmoking Protectingothersfromsecond-handsmoke WheretogethelpPassivesmokingmeansbreathinginotherpeople’stobaccosmoke.Thesmokedriftingfromalitcigaretteplusthesmokebreathedoutbyasmokeriscalledsecond-handsmokeorenvironmentaltobaccosmoke.  Second-handsmokeisaserioushealthriskforboththosewhosmokeandthosewhodonot.Childrenareparticularlyatriskofserioushealtheffectsfromsecond-handsmoke. TobaccolawsinVictoria InVictoria,itisillegaltosmoketobacco,includingshishatobacco,andtousevapingproducts(electroniccigarettes): inmostindoorworkplaces  withinthegroundsof,andatandwithin4metresofanentranceto,allVictorianchildcarecentres,kindergartens(orpreschools)andprimaryandsecondaryschools atandwithin4metresofanentrancetochildren’sindoorplaycentresandVictorianpublicpremises(allpublichospitalsandregisteredcommunityhealthcentres,andcertainVictorianGovernmentbuildings) incarscarryingpeoplewhoareunder18yearsofage atallofVictoria'spatrolledbeacheswithin50metresofaredandyellowflag within10metresofoutdoorchildren'splaygroundequipment within10metresofoutdoorskateparks withintheoutdoorareasofallpublicswimmingpoolcomplexes within10metresofoutdoorsportingvenuesduringunder18seventsandtrainingsessions onpublictransport inallareasoftrainstations,coveredbusshelters,raisedplatformtramstopsandalltramstopshelters onthegroundsofprisons atunderagemusicordanceevents inalloutdoordiningareaswherefood(otherthanpre-packagedfoodoruncutfruit)isprovidedonacommercialbasis atcertainfoodfairsandorganisedevents inoutdoorareasthatlocalcouncilshavemadesmoke-free. FormoreinformationontobaccolawsinVictoria,visittheVictorianGovernment’sDepartmentofHealthpageontobaccoreforms.  Toxiceffectsofpassivesmoking Tobaccosmokeinsidearoomtendstohanginmid-airratherthandisperse.Hotsmokerises,buttobaccosmokecoolsrapidly,whichstopsitsupwardclimb.Sincethesmokeisheavierthantheair,thesmokestartstodescend. Apersonwhosmokesheavilyindoorscreatesalow-lyingsmokecloudthatotherhouseholdershavenochoicebuttobreathe. Tobaccosmokecontainsaround7,000chemicals,madeupofparticlesandgases,over70ofwhichareknowntocausecancer.Second-handsmokehasbeenconfirmedasacauseoflungcancer byseveralleadinghealthauthorities. Chemicalsinsecond-handsmokesuchasammonia,sulphurandformaldehydedamagetheeyes,nose,throatandlungs.Thesecompoundsareespeciallyharmfultopeoplewithlungconditionssuchasbronchitis orasthma.Exposuretosecond-handsmokecantriggerorworsensymptoms. Healthrisksofpassivesmoking–pregnantwomenandunbornbabies Whenapregnantwomanbreathesinanytobaccosmoke,herunbornbabyisexposedtothechemicalsinthesmoketoo.About10%ofAustralianwomensmokeduringpregnancy.Bothsmokingandpassivesmokingcanseriouslyaffectthedevelopingbaby. Womenwhosmokeareatgreaterriskofectopicpregnancy. Healthrisksformotherswhosmokeduringpregnancy includeincreasedriskof: miscarriage andstillbirthprematurebirth andlowbirthweight suddenunexpecteddeathininfants(SUDI),whichincludessuddeninfantdeathsyndrome(SIDS)andfatalsleepaccidents complicationsduringbirth. Whenanon-smokingpregnantwomanisexposedtosecond-handsmokeinthehome–forexample,ifherpartnersmokes–itincreasestheriskfor: earlybirth stillbirth lowbirthweight. Activesmokingbymencandamagetheirsperm.Somehealthproblemsmaybeduetoanon-smokingmotherbreathinginsecond-handsmoke,orspermdamagefromthefather’stobaccouse,orboth.Theseinclude: lowerfertilitybirthdefectsincludingcleftliporpalate childhoodcancer includinglivercancer. Healthrisksofpassivesmoking–children Childrenareespeciallyvulnerabletothedamagingeffectsofsecond-handsmoke.Someofthemanyhealthrisksinclude:  Passivesmokingisacauseofsuddenunexpecteddeathininfants(SUDI),whichincludessuddeninfantdeathsyndrome(SIDS)andfatalsleepaccidents.  Achildwholivesinasmokinghouseholdforthefirst18monthsoftheirlifehasanincreasedriskofdevelopingarangeofillnessesofthelung,includingbronchitis,bronchiolitisandpneumonia.Theyarealsomorepronetocoughs,wheezing andglueear(middleearinfections).Theirlungsareweakeranddonotgrowtotheirfullpotential. Achildexposedtosecond-handsmokeinthehomeismorelikelytodevelopasthmasymptoms,havemoreasthmaattacks anduseasthmamedicationsmoreoftenandforalongerperiod.  School-agedchildrenofpeoplewhosmokearemorelikelytohavesymptomssuchascough,phlegm,wheezeandbreathlessness. Childrenofpeoplewhosmokehaveanincreasedriskofmeningococcaldisease,whichcansometimescausedisabilityordeath. Healthrisksofpassivesmoking–partnerswhohaveneversmoked Peoplewhohaveneversmokedwholivewithpeoplewhodosmokeareatincreasedriskofarangeoftobacco-relateddiseasesandotherhealthrisks,including:  Heartdiseaseandstroke –second-handsmokeaffectsyourbloodvesselsinseveralways:  Itmakesthebloodmore‘sticky’andlikelytoclot. Passivesmokingisassociatedwithlowerlevelsofantioxidantvitaminsintheblood. Just30minutesofpassivesmokingcanaffecthowyourbloodvesselsregulatebloodflow,toasimilardegreetothatseeninpeoplewhosmoke. Passivesmokingoveralongtimemayleadtothedevelopmentofatherosclerosis(narrowingofthearteriesbyfattystreaks). Lungcancer–peoplewhoareexposedtosecond-handsmokeoveralongtimehavea20to30%higherriskofdevelopinglungcancer. Thereisincreasingevidencethatpassivesmokingmayincreasetheriskofnasalsinuscancer,mouthcancer,throatcancer,larynxcancer,longandshort-termrespiratorysymptoms,lossoflungfunction,andchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease amongpeoplewhodonotsmoke. Yourfamilyandfriends–agoodreasontostopsmoking Whenyoustopsmoking,youarenotonlydoinggreatthingsforyourownhealth,butforyourlovedones.  Youwillprotectyourpartner,childrenorotherhouseholdmembersfrombecomingillfromsecond-handsmoke. Youwillhavemoreenergyandtimetospendwithyourkids. Youwillsavealotofmoneyforyouandyourfamily. Youareyourchild’sfirstrolemodel–parentswhostopsmokingreducethelikelihoodthattheirchildrenwilltakeupsmokinglaterinlife. Whatareyourreasonstohaveagoatquitting? Helpisavailableifyouwanttostopsmoking.Tofindoutallyouroptions,callQuitlineTel.137848foradviceandsupport,andtalktoyourdoctororpharmacistabouthowtheycanhelpyouquit.  Protectingothersfromsecond-handsmoke Ifyousmokebutyouareunwillingorunabletostopimmediately,therearevariouswaystohelpprotectthehealthofthepeopleyoulivewith.Suggestionsinclude:  Makeyourhometotallysmoke-free.Alwayssmokeoutdoorsandshutwindowsanddoorssosmokedoesn’tdriftinside.Limitingyoursmokingtooneor2roomswillnotprotectyourfamily–tobaccosmokecaneasilydriftthroughtherestofthehouse. Makesurethatvisitorstoyourhousesmokeoutdoors–thatincludesshishaaswellascigarettes. Makeyourcartotallysmoke-free.Theotheroccupantswillstillbeexposedtotobaccosmokeevenifthewindowsareopen.InVictoria,itisillegaltosmokeincarscarryingpeoplewhoareunder18yearsofage. Don’tallowsmokinginanyenclosedspacewherepeoplewhodonotsmokespendtime–forexample,inthegarage,shed,cubbyhouse,boatorcaravan. Trytoavoidtakingchildrentooutdoorareaswherepeoplearesmokingandyoucan’teasilymoveaway. Makesurethatallpeoplewholookafteryourchildrenprovideasmoke-freeenvironment. WheretogethelpYourGP(doctor)PharmacistQuitlineTel.137848Second-handsmoke,2019,QuitVictoria. Healthconsequencesofsmoking:SurgeonGeneralfactsheet,2014,USDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices.  Second-handsmokeandthehealthofpeoplearoundyou,2018,QuitVictoria.  CampbellM,FordC,WinstanleyM2020,‘Chapter4–Thehealtheffectsofsecond-handsmoke’,inGreenhalghE,ScolloMandWinstanleyM(eds),TobaccoinAustralia:Factsandissues,CancerCouncilVictoria. Chapter3:Thehealtheffectsofactivesmoking,2020,inGreenhalghE,ScolloM,WinstanleyM,(eds),TobaccoinAustralia:Factsandissues,CancerCouncilVictoria.  Australia'smothersandbabies2018–inbrief,2020,AustralianInstituteofHealthandWelfare,Perinatalstatisticsseriesno.36,Catno.PER108.  Areviewofhumancarcinogens–PartE:Personalhabitsandindoorcombustions,IARCWorkingGroupontheEvaluationofCarcinogenicRiskstoHumans,InternationalAgencyforResearchonCancer. Smokingandtobacco,CityofMelbourne.  9thingsyou'llgainfromquitting,QuitVictoria. GreenhalghE,StillmanS,FordC2020,‘Chapter7:Smokingcessation’,inGreenhalghE,ScolloM,WinstanleyM(eds)TobaccoinAustralia:Factsandissues,CancerCouncilVictoria. Third-handsmokeandindoorsmokingbans,2019,QuitVictoria.   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