 Smoking is not just an issue of personal health for smokers; it is a public
health issue that concerns everyone. Every year, about 3,000 adult nonsmokers
die from lung cancer and 35,000 from coronary heart disease nationwide. Each
time nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke their health is affected -
whether sitting in the nonsmoking section of a restaurant that allows smoking or
visiting a smoker's apartment, a nonsmoker's body immediately feels the effects.
People exposed to secondhand smoke greatly increase their risk of developing
lung cancer, heart disease, asthma, bronchitis, ear infections, pneumonia,
croup, and sore throats.
 Children are particularly susceptible to secondhand smoke. Infants exposed to
secondhand smoke increase their chances of getting respiratory diseases, ear
infections, asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Between 7,500 and
15,000 infants in the United States are hospitalized each year as a result of
such diseases.
The Bureau of Tobacco Education and Prevention conducts a variety of
efforts to educate about the dangers of secondhand smoke.
Fact Sheet:
Secondhand
Smoke by the Numbers [PDF 40 KB]
Report:
2006
Surgeon
General's Report on Secondhand Smoke
Are my child's ear
infections related to my smoking?
No
Parents Want Their Children to Need Surgery
Ear Infections in Children Linked to Secondhand Smoke
Cigarette Smoke and Ear Infections
Secondhand smoke and children’s health
Secondhand Smoke and Children's Health
What Can You do about Secondhand Smoke
More about Secondhand Smoke
Taking Action Against Secondhand Smoke
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