World No Tobacco Day丨Secondhand smoke, the harm is all around us!

Do you feel shocked when you see this poster? Smoking not only harms the health of smokers, but also causes most non-smokers to become victims of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke exposure has become a common phenomenon in many countries, even in medical institutions and health professionals. Any place where smoking is allowed will have the problem of secondhand smoke exposure, including homes, workplaces, and public places.

What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke: It is composed of mainstream smoke (smoke exhaled by smokers) and sidestream smoke (smoke produced by the burning end of cigarettes). It causes people to smoke passively and involuntarily. It is the most widespread and serious indoor air pollution and is one of the major causes of death worldwide.

The chemical composition and concentration of tobacco smoke inhaled by secondhand smoke are different from those of mainstream smoke inhaled by smokers. The content of some chemical components that are seriously harmful to the human body in secondhand smoke is even higher than that in firsthand smoke:

The carbon monoxide is 5 times that of mainstream smoke!

The nicotine content is 3 times that of mainstream smoke!

The highly carcinogenic benzopyrene is 4 times that of mainstream smoke!

The content of nitrosamines, a strong carcinogen, is 50 times that of mainstream smoke!

What is secondhand smoke exposure?

The criteria for determining secondhand smoke exposure are: non-smokers inhale smoke exhaled by smokers for more than 15 minutes at least one day a week.

my country is the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer, and also the largest tobacco victim. More than 1 million people die from tobacco harm in my country every year, and at least 100,000 die from exposure to secondhand smoke.

There is no so-called safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Even short-term exposure to secondhand smoke can cause harm to human health. Ventilation devices such as exhaust fans and air conditioners cannot prevent non-smokers from inhaling secondhand smoke.

What are the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke?

1. Increased risk of cancer. Secondhand smoke exposure can lead to lung cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, and sinus cancer. If you spend more than 15 minutes with a smoker every day, the harm of secondhand smoke exposure is equivalent to that of a smoker. 75% of lung cancer patients are ultimately traced back to smoking, and the greater the exposure to secondhand smoke and the longer the exposure, the higher the risk of lung cancer.

2. It can cause acute and chronic respiratory symptoms, decreased lung function, bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults;

3. It can cause bronchial asthma, decreased lung function and otitis media in children. Children who are harmed by secondhand smoke for a long time will have a great impact on their intellectual development, and their learning abilities in memory, reading, mathematics, etc. will be limited.

4. Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke can cause low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, premature birth, neural tube defects and cleft lip and palate.

5. For women, long-term exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to premature aging, menstrual disorders, low estrogen, osteoporosis, and in severe cases, it can also cause cervical cancer, uterine cancer and other diseases.

6. The risk of developing diabetes increases. Studies have found that active smoking or passive smoking can lead to the risk of glucose intolerance in young people. Secondhand smoke is also a new risk factor for glucose intolerance. If the human body develops glucose intolerance, the blood sugar level in the body will increase, and the risk of diabetes will be very high.

How to reduce or avoid the harm of secondhand smoke?

1. Smokers should quit smoking as soon as possible or reduce smoking, refrain from smoking in public places or workplaces, and protect the rights of non-smokers to maintain their own health.

2. If non-smokers need to frequently go to places with secondhand smoke, they can try to reduce the exposure time.

3. Accelerate tobacco control legislation. In order to minimize the harm of secondhand smoke to the physical and mental health of non-smokers, legislation is a key measure to prohibit smoking in public places.

In many countries, public places where smoking is prohibited have gradually expanded from public transportation, cinemas, exhibition halls, shopping malls, banks, schools, hospitals, etc. to office places (including government office buildings, company offices, etc.), and then to popular catering and entertainment venues (including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, massage parlors, etc.).

For your own and others' health ,

Quit smoking as soon as possible!

Like smoking, the harm caused by exposure to secondhand smoke has a delayed effect.

If children's exposure to secondhand smoke is not effectively controlled, it can be expected that the burden of major smoking-related chronic diseases in my country will continue to rise in the coming decades.

For yourself and others

Peace, health and future,

Let us work together to create a harmonious and smoke-free environment.

Written by: Wang Siling

Art Editor: Liu Xiaoqin

Reviewer: Zhong Bo, Cheng Gang, Ji Kui