Is secondhand smoke harmful to the health of my family and pets?

Secondhand smoke, now called Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), is a health risk that affects an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 children, and kills 53,000 nonsmokers each year. It even affects the health of your pets. In fact, ETS is the only environmental pollutant that has been conclusively proven to be hazardous to the health of children and adults. ETS is now classified as a Group A carcinogen. Other Group A carcinogens include asbestos, radon, and benzene. The consistency of results that have been seen in numerous American and international research studies of ETS lead to a certainty of greater than 99.9% that secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancers in nonsmokers.

Although conclusive evidence has linked ETS with cancer, the risk of developing lung cancer is relatively small compared to other health risks related to its exposure. ETS contains strong irritants and sensitizers, and many exposed adults and children suffer respiratory and ear problems such as decreased lung performance, chronic coughing and wheezing, bronchitis, pneumonia, fluid in the middle ear, allergies, and asthma. Children with asthma have more frequent and more severe asthma attacks because of exposure to secondhand smoke. There is also an increased risk for the onset of asthma in exposed children. There is mounting evidence that ETS can have an effect on the cardiovascular system and increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In addition, nicotine is found in a mother's breast milk up to five hours after smoking.

Protecting children from exposure to ETS should be a priority for everyone. Children from birth to age two are especially vulnerable to ETS because their lungs are not fully developed. If you are a smoker or live/work with a smoker, you can reduce the ETS health risks in your home and workplace by:
•   Limiting indoor areas where smoking is permitted;
•   Prohibiting smoking indoors, and only permitting smoking outdoors;
•   Open windows and/or doors while you smoke;
•   Keep indoor areas well ventilated;
•   Not smoking if you are pregnant;
•   Not smoking around children or where they eat, play, or sleep;
•  Prohibit childcare workers and babysitters from smoking around your children, or
•  Quitting smoking.