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KEY POINTS
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Secondhand smoke is:
When nonsmokers breathe this smoke, it is called passive smoking.
Passive smoking is dangerous. Every time someone smokes, poisonous chemicals go into the air. Many of these chemicals can cause cancer. Each year, many nonsmokers die from lung cancer as a result of breathing secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can also lead to:
Passive smoking increases the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Babies whose mothers smoke during or after pregnancy are more likely to die of SIDS than babies whose mothers do not smoke.
Children who are around secondhand smoke are more likely to have asthma and to get more colds and ear infections. Secondhand smoke affects kidney function and can increase blood pressure in children, especially if both parents smoke in the home. And there is a greater chance that children of smokers will become smokers. Secondhand smoke may also increase the risk that children will have attention-deficit disorder (ADHD) or a learning disability.
If you are around someone who smokes every day, your risk of health problems is almost as high as if you smoke. If you live or work in a smoky place:
If you are exposed to cigarette smoke while pregnant:
Even if you drink or eat in nonsmoking areas of bars and restaurants, you may still breathe in dangerous levels of smoke if you are near a smoker. The closer you are to the smoke coming from the end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, the worse it is for you. You should stay at least 20 feet away from people smoking outdoors. There is no safe level of tobacco smoke indoors. Being in a car with a smoker is also bad, even if the windows are open.
You can also be exposed to dangerous levels in any building where people smoke. Smoke and the chemicals from it stay in dust and on carpet, floors, counters, and other surfaces. This is called third hand smoke.
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