11 Facts About Secondhand Smoke

1. The EPA declared that secondhand smoke can cause cancer.
2. Secondhand smoke causes about 3,400 lung cancer deaths each year.
3. Each year in the U.S., secondhand smoke causes 22,700 to 69,600 heart disease deaths in adult non-smokers.
4. Secondhand smoke can cause disease and premature death in non-smoking people, including children.
5. Non-smokers exposed to environmental smoke were found to be 25% more likely to have coronary heart diseases compared to those not exposed to smoke.
6. Secondhand smoke is the cause of between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in children under 18.
7. Each year, between 7,500 and 15,000 children are hospitalized due to lower respiratory tract infections caused by secondhand smoke.
8. By causing lower respiratory tract infections, secondhand smoke is responsible for 1,900 to 2,700 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths each year in the U.S.
9. Approximately 50-75% of children in the U.S. have a substance in their blood called cotinine that comes from nicotine.
10. According to the Surgeon General’s Report, scientific evidence concludes that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
11. Cigarette smoke can cause at least one type of leukemia, cancer of the lungs, esophagus, oral cavity, bladder, and breast.  It is also known to cause nasal cancer and at least one type of leukemia.

Sources:
The American Lung Association
 Secondhand Smokes You