Straight Talk About Second-Hand Smoke
February 13th, 2010 . by stop smoking guestCancer, heart disease and severely decreased lung function-all consequences associated with smoking, and all, apparently, not sufficient or risky enough to prompt most people to quit. It sounds unbelievable, but millions of people continue to tempt the fate of these conditions in order to perpetuate this horrible addiction. Warnings from doctors and even the onset of some of these ailments just don’t seem to be enough to force these smokers’ hands.
But before you throw your hands up in bewilderment, it’s important to reinforce that smoking is an addiction and the very thought of quitting, let alone the side effects, can cause a type of paralysis to positive action. To many, the discomfort associated with quitting is not worth the price-regardless of what it is.
This portrait of addiction is scary, and if you have tried to quit smoking you undoubtedly can testify and relate to the scenario painted above. Addiction can be hard to break free from and sometimes not even the threat of illness is powerful enough to unlock those chains. But if the preservation of your own health is not, in your opinion, worth risking the discomfort and cravings associated with quitting, maybe the risk to your family is? Maybe the knowledge that your smoking is not only slowly killing you, but affecting your family’s health as well will finally be the proverbial “last straw.”
What is Second-Hand Smoke?
Second-hand smoke, the smoke that is both exhaled and floats from your cigarette as it is lit, contains the same poisons that you inhale. Chemicals such as formaldehyde, arsenic, cyanide, benzene and carbon monoxide are all present in cigarette smoke, and every time you light up you are exposing your family and friends to these toxins. Some experts even claim that the toxins are more dangerous than the smoke you inhale because they are not filtered.
What are the Dangers?
Last year the United States EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) estimated that second-hand smoke, also known as passive smoking, causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Additionally, 30,000 to 50,000 deaths from heart disease in nonsmokers can be directly linked to passive smoking.
And that’s not the end of the list. Many non-life threatening illnesses can also be attributed to the effects of second-hand smoke. People experience burning eyes, sneezing, headache and nausea, and certain people with conditions such as asthma, sinusitis or emphysema can suffer drastically from the smoke you are producing. Children of smokers have it especially rough. It is estimated that kids who are regularly exposed to cigarette smoke have higher rates of asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and other pulmonary illnesses-all conditions that put their health at great risk.
Take Action
As a good parent, you probably place harmful chemicals out of your children’s reach, protecting them from accidental exposure, but what risks are you intentionally welcoming by continuing to smoke in their presence? Fortunately, many states and organizations have taken measures to curb the amount of second-hand smoke in the air, but their efforts to save your family are pointless if you fail to take some action yourself.
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