What Are the Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke?
Approximately 50,000 Americans die each year as a result of breathing other people’s smoke. You can help save the health of those you love by quitting smoking. The 2006 U.S. Surgeon General Report on the health effects of secondhand smokers concluded that secondhand smoke causes early death and disease in children and adults who do not smoke. Non-smoking spouses of smokers are more likely to have heart disease or lung cancer than if they were not exposed to smoke in the home. Infants and children who are exposed to smoke are at higher risk for dangerous diseases, such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), severe respiratory illnesses, ear infections, and asthma. The most effective way to make sure that your children never smoke is to not smoke. Learn more about secondhand smoke.
