Second Hand Smoking

Many of us would do just about anything to keep our family members from harms way. You or someone you know could be doing it without knowing it or because you choose to Ignore it. Im talking about secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is defined by The American Heart Association as a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of the smoker. Secondhand is as dangerous as smoking a cigarette. In children secondhand smoke is respponsible for Increase in number of asthma attacks and severity of the symptoms. The developing lungs of young children are severely affected by exposure to secondhand mainly because children are still physically developing. In adults secondhand smoke exposure may cause buildup of fliuid in the middle ear; resultings in 700,00 to 1.6 million doctors' office a year. As the U.S Enviromental Protection Agency states 50,000 fatal heart attacks a year are caused by heart attacks. It is also said to be as harmful as asbestos. Studies found that nonsmokers were 25 percent ore likely to have coronary heart diseases compared to non smoker not exposed.

The American Heart Association, The US Enviromental Protection Agency and the government are all trying to find a solution or at least some knida of reduction in smoking and secondhand smoke. One is by increasing the price of cigarettes, another way is by prohibiting smoking in just about any where except outside. To smoke in a bar or restaurant is illegal in the state of new york, if caught it can results in fines. Some of the other solutions given by these agencies is to smoke outside your house or car. The smoke free policy has brought many positive effects one of them in the work field. In 1999 70 percent of the US workforce worked under the smoke free policy . Workplace productivity was increades and absenteeism was decreased among former smokers compared with current smokers. Until one can quit smoking he or she should choose to smoke outside. Moving to another room or opening a window is not enough. Somethings we are just better off if we dont do them at all and smoking is indeed one of them. If you would like some more information for you or someone you love please feel free to contact 1 800 LUNG USA.

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