What are the effects of passive smoking?
Effects of passive smoking depend on the exposure levels and duration of exposures. It can be immediate or late effects. The chemicals in the cigarette smoke can cause irritation of the eyes, headache, cough, sore throat, and nausea. Studies have shown that in patients with asthma exposure to smoke can reduce the lung function significantly and new cases of asthma can be induced in children who are exposed to cigarette smoke. A major review by the Government-appointed Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) stated that passive smoking is a cause of lung cancer and ischemic heart disease in adult non-smokers, and a cause of respiratory disease, cot death, middle ear disease and asthmatic attacks in children. Passive smoking increases the risk of getting frequent lower respiratory tract infections in children. Passive smoking during childhood predisposes children to develop cancer as adults. Exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy can lead to the birth of low birth weight
