The effects of smoking on those around you

  Smoking doesn’t just affect you, but also your loved ones.

Smoking doesn’t just affect you, but also your loved ones. To find out more about the potentially devastating effects of secondhand smoking, read on...

How secondhand smoking occurs...
Secondhand smoking occurs when the non-smoker breathes in ’sidestream’ smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and ’mainstream’ smoke, which has been inhaled and then exhaled by the smoker. Non-smokers who breathe other people’s tobacco smoke are exposed to the same 4,000 chemicals that a smoker inhales.

Who is affected and how...

* Children exposed to secondhand smoke are twice as likely to get chest illnesses such as croup, pneumonia bronchitis and bronchiolitis
* Children exposed to secondhand smoke are also more likely to get ear infections, tonsillitis, wheezing and childhood asthma
* Children of smokers are more likely to smoke themselves
* According to government statistics, half of British children live in households where at least one parent smokes
* Non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke are put at risk of the same serious diseases as smokers
* Cigarette smoke is classified as a cause of cancer

Protecting the public...
Smoking is now banned from many public places, including public transport, theatres, cinemas and public buildings, and it is expected that this list will continue to grow. Imagine if smoking became such a social stigma, that the only place where it was acceptable was your home, and quite possibly even there you’d be putting someone else at risk.

If you would like to help someone stop...
If you are being exposed by secondhand smoking and would like to help someone stop, go to Help someone give up for help and advice. Smoking affects everyone. Your decision to smoke is not just about you. It’s about those around you.


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http://www.givingupsmoking.co.uk

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