Passive smoking - NHS

Secondhand smoke is the smoke that you exhale plus the "sidestream" smoke created by the lit end of your cigarette. When friends and family breathe in your ... Skiptomaincontent Home LiveWell Quitsmoking Backto Quitsmoking Passivesmoking Secondhandsmokeisdangerous,especiallyforchildren.Thebestwaytoprotectlovedonesistoquitsmoking.Attheveryleast,makesureyouhaveasmokefreehomeandcar.Whenyousmokeacigarette(orroll-up,pipeorcigar),mostofthesmokedoesn'tgointoyourlungs,itgoesintotheairaroundyouwhereanyonenearbycanbreatheitin.Secondhandsmoke isthesmokethatyouexhaleplusthe"sidestream"smokecreatedbythelitendofyourcigarette.Whenfriendsandfamilybreatheinyoursecondhandsmoke–whatwecallpassivesmoking–itisn'tjustunpleasantforthem,itcandamagetheirhealthtoo.Peoplewhobreatheinsecondhandsmokeregularlyaremorelikelytogetthesamediseasesassmokers,includinglungcancerandheartdisease.Pregnantwomenexposedtopassivesmokearemorepronetoprematurebirthandtheirbabyismoreatriskoflowbirthweightandcotdeath.Andchildrenwholiveinasmokyhouseareathigherriskofbreathingproblems,asthma,andallergies. HowtoprotectagainstsecondhandsmokeTheonlywaytoprotectyourfriendsandfamilyfromsecondhandsmokeistokeeptheenvironmentaroundthemsmokefree.Thebestwaytodothatistoquitsmokingcompletely.Ifyou'renotreadytoquit,makeeveryefforttokeepyourcigarettesmokeawayfromotherpeopleandneversmokeindoorsorinthecar.Youshould:alwayssmokeoutsideaskyourvisitorstosmokeoutsidenotsmokeinthecarorallowanyoneelsetoTakestepsNOWtostopsmoking. TherisksofpassivesmokingSecondhandsmokeisalethalcocktailofmorethan4,000irritants,toxinsandcancer-causingsubstances.Mostsecondhandsmokeisinvisibleandodourless,sonomatterhowcarefulyouthinkyou'rebeing,peoplearoundyoustillbreatheintheharmfulpoisons.Openingwindowsanddoorsorsmokinginanotherroominthehousedoesn'tprotectpeople.Smokecanlingerintheairfor2to3hoursafteryou'vefinishedacigarette,evenwithawindowopen.Also,evenifyoulimitsmokingtooneroom,thesmokewillspreadtotherestofthehousewherepeoplewillinhaleit. Children andpassivesmokingPassivesmokingisespeciallyharmfulforchildrenastheyhavelesswell-developedairways,lungsandimmunesystems.Childrenwholiveinahouseholdwhereatleast1personsmokesaremorelikelytodevelop:asthmachestinfections–likepneumoniaandbronchitismeningitisearinfectionscoughsandcoldsChildrenareparticularlyvulnerableinthefamilycarwheresecondhandsmokecanreachhazardouslevelsevenwiththewindowsopen.Toprotectchildren,anewbanonsmokingincarsandothervehicles carryingchildrenwasintroducedinOctober2015.Itisnowagainstthelawtosmokeinaprivatevehicleifthere'sayoungperson under18present.Readaboutthenewlawonsmokingin privatevehicles. Howsafeise-cig vapour?Smokinge-cigarettes,alsoknownasvaping,doesn'tproducetobaccosmokesotherisksofpassivesmokingwithconventionalcigarettesdon'tapplytoe-cigs.Researchintothisareaisongoing,butitseemsthate-cigsreleasenegligibleamountsofnicotineintotheatmosphereandthelimitedevidenceavailablesuggeststhatanyriskfrompassivevapingtobystandersissmallrelativetotobaccocigarettes.InEngland,theGovernmenthasnoplanstobanvapingindoors(althoughsomeemployershavebannedthemintheworkplace)butsomehealthprofessionalsrecommendavoidingusing themaroundpregnantwomen,babiesandchildren.YourGPcangiveyouadviceaboutquittingsmoking. Morein Quitsmoking NHSstopsmokingserviceshelpyouquit Usinge-cigarettestostopsmoking Passivesmoking Paan,bidiandshisha Stoppingsmokingforyourmentalhealth Pagelastreviewed:23July2018 Nextreviewdue:23July2021