Dangers of inhaling cigarette smoke

A smoker with a lit cigaretteMembers of the public are always told that smoking is dangerous to their health. But many people are aware that even inhalation of smoke from their friends, relatives, colleagues, etc, could cause the same damage that real smoking does, reports Muda Oyeniran.

Due to many negative campaigns against smoking and several public enlightenments about the health hazards associated with it, many people who ordinarily, would have ventured into smoking had decided to abstain from the practice. However, not many people are aware that inhalation of smoke from their friends, relatives, colleagues etc, could cause the same damage that real smoking does.

According to experts, second-hand smoke (smoke from cigarettes, pipe or cigars) is high in toxic chemicals and plays a role in causing or contributing to a number of health problems namely cardiovascular disease, cancer and asthma. Second-hand smoke, according to them, include side stream smoke that comes directly from the burning tobacco product and mainstream smoke which the smoker exhales. Findings revealed that tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds out of which more than 250 are toxic and more than 50 of the chemicals in cigarette smoke are known or suspected to cause cancer.

Second-hand smoke, it is said contains harmful chemicals such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, methanol and hydrogen cyanide. While ammonia is said to irritate the lungs, carbon monoxide is known to reduce oxygen in the blood. Methanol is also toxic when inhaled or swallowed while hydrogen cyanide is a potent poison that interferes with respiratory function. Other chemicals present in second-hand smoke include formaldehyde, arsenic, cadmium, benzene and polonium.

A consultant physician, Dr. Emmanuel Chukwu, disclosed that second-hand smoke was a known risk factor for lung cancer and cancer of the nasal sinuses “Second-hand smoke harms the cardiovascular system of non-smokers in many ways. It causes heart diseases such as heart attack. It also damages blood vessels, interferes with blood circulation and increase the risk of blood clots. Although we do not have the statistics of the effects of second-hand smoke on Nigerians, it is on record that second-hand smoke is believed to be responsible for about 3,400 deaths from lung cancer in the United States while it is also estimated that some 35,000 non-smokers die of second-hand smoke related heart disease in the same country every year”, he explained.

According to him, chronic lung ailments such as bronchitis and asthma have been associated with second-hand smoke, adding that exposure to second-hand smoke is also associated with chest tightness at night and feelings of breathlessness after physical activity. “Generally breathing the toxins in second-hand smoke can literally make you sick and scientific evidence has shown that there is no safe level of exposure to it. It is better avoided”, Dr Chukwu stressed. Other health problems that had been linked to second-hand smoking according to him, included chronic coughing, phlegm, wheezing; eye and nose irritation; reduced lung function, irritability and dental cavities.

In his own submission, a paediatrician with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Tunji Ademola, disclosed that second-hand smoke has a marked effect on the health of infants and children. “They are more vulnerable than adults are to second-hand smoking because they are still developing physically and generally have higher breathing rates, which means they may inhale greater quantities of second-hand smoke than adults do”, he added. According to him, children whose parents smoke and those who live in households where someone smokes are worst affected during their first five years. “Ironically, infants are at the highest risk of second-hand smoke from their own mothers. A child who spends just one hour in a very smoky room is inhaling as many dangerous chemicals as if he or she smoked 10 or more cigarettes! And even when parents do not smoke at home or in the car, there can still be negative effects when children are exposed to the tobacco smoke pollution released from the clothing and hair of smoking parents”, Dr Ademola added.

He also revealed that women who were exposed to second-hand smoke during pregnancy were at higher risk of having babies of slightly lower birth weight. This, according to him, can cause a host of health problems such as cerebral palsy and learning disabilities for the baby. “Women who actively smoke during pregnancy expose the developing baby to passive smoke and put the baby at risk of lower birth weight. An infant who was exposed to second-hand smoke as a developing foetus may be at increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Post birth exposure to second-hand smoke from the mother, father or others in the household also increases the risk of SIDS” he added.

On other negative effects of second-hand smoke on children, Dr. Ademola said it may cause asthma in children, adding that it could, also, make episodes of asthma more frequent and more severe in children who already have asthma. According to him, second-hand smoke could also lead to various infections in children. “It is tied to infections of the lower respiratory tract, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, especially in whose ages are below six. It is also associated with irritation of the upper respiratory tract and a small reduction in lung function. Children living in households with smokers are more likely to develop middle ear infections called otitis media", he added.

A public health expert, Mrs. Adekemi Temitope, said the best way for a non-smoker to guard against the evils of second-hand smoking is for him to avoid smokers completely. She advised: “Do not allow smoking in your home. If family members or guests want to smoke, ask them to step outside. Also do not assume that open window, air conditioner or fans will clear the air if you are with smokers. The best way is to completely avoid them.”