Brief Introduction (max 200 words)
Although it was believed for a long time that second-hand smoke only affects smokers, since the early 1980s it has been known that non-smoking family members of smokers have twice the risk of experiencing heart attacks than those in non-smoking households. Consequently, people living and working in environments that contain second-hand smoke suffer coronary heart diseases (CHD) due to the toxic substances of tobacco smoke.
Key concepts (max 500 words)
Second-hand smoke (SHS) consists of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by smokers. SHS contains more than 7,000 chemicals and more than 200 of these are known poisons, such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and methyl isocyanate.
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Due to the plaque, arteries become narrower, slowly blocking the blood flow and causing increased risks of CHD. When the artery narrows and blood flow is reduced, the oxygen supply is decreased. Most of the time a blood clot forms and blocks the artery, thus stopping the blood flow. If the oxygen supply to the heart is reduced, a heart attack can occur. If the oxygen supply to the brain is cut off, a stroke can occur. Therefore SHS accelerates atherosclerosis in the arteries and aorta and the toxic substances in the smoke that builds up in the arteries, results in increased risks of getting cardiovascular diseases.
When someone smokes indoors, the smoke cannot be kept away by opening a window or using a fan. In fact, research shows that toxins from smoke remain in a person’s hair and clothes and the surrounding environment. These toxins, are hazardous to infants and children.
The only way to avoid the risks of smoke is to avoid places where smoking occurs. That can be done by making sure family, friends, and visitors never smoke inside your house or vehicle, thus helping to keep the house smoke-free by. Choose to eat in restaurants that are smoke-free as non-smoking sections do not provide protection from secondhand
Imagine yourself sitting down to dinner at a restaurant. You are sitting down trying to enjoy your dinner when all you can smell is smoke. Not only are you just breathing in the smoke, it is also damaging your body at the same time. Or imagine yourself at your work place, whether it be a restaurant or office, and you are forced to breathe in second-hand smoke the entire time you are there. In this paper you will be informed of the harmful effects of second-hand smoke, and why smoking should be banned from all public places.
Regardless of consumer belief, smoking dramatically increases the chances of contracting many diseases - such as heart disease or high blood pressure. Although not every user experiences these diseases, it is well known that smoking can decrease one’s life time dramatically. The information given states, “It’s virtually impossible to escape the effects of tobacco” (Jordan). This stated, Jordan expresses that essentially if you use tobacco, there is a fairly high chance that one will damage his/her body in some way. Furthermore, there are many more diseases that can be contracted and the ones stated are only the most common. Continuing, the author explains the affects of smoking, “Expose to specific elements of secondhand smoke causes blood clot more easily and damages arterial lining” (Jordan). As stated, certain components in tobacco increase the chances of high blood pressure and blood clots to form in the body. Concluding, respiratory problems in young children can occur through second hand smoking, these include asthma. Children that asthma effect increases from smoke, “Asthma turns out to be about twice as common in children exposed to high levels of second hand smoke” (Secondhand Smoke: Is it a Hazard). Not only does tobacco smoke increase other diseases, it also increases the severity of diseases already contracted as shown in the previous quote. To conclude, tobacco smoke
There are approximately 4,000-7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Chemicals included are: nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, acetone, benzene, butane, Cadmium and DDT. The chemicals previously listed are typically found within nail polish remover, hair dye, rat poison, rubber cement, active ingredients in battery acid, embalming fluid, and materials for paving roads. Forty-three of the chemicals within a cigarette are known cancer-causing compounds, and over 400 other toxins. In addition, depending on the type of cigarette that is smoked, the effects could be even more harmful to one’s body by containing more additives and chemicals than others (Kleinman, L., M.D., & D. M., M.P.H., 2016).
Atherosclerosis is a reduction of the arteries triggered by a buildup of plaque. It is also called arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body. As the body gets older, fat and cholesterol can collect in the arteries and form plaque. The buildup of plaque makes it difficult for blood to flow through the arteries. This buildup may transpire in any artery in the body and can result in a shortage of blood and oxygen in various tissues of the body. Pieces of plaque can also break off, causing a blood clot. If left untreated, atherosclerosis can lead to heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Atherosclerosis is a fairly common problem associated with aging. According to the University of Maryland
What is secondhand smoke? Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke from an actively burning cigarette and can also be the smoke exhaled from a smoker. There are two different types of secondhand smoke: Side stream smoke which comes directly from burning tobacco and also Mainstream smoke which is the smoke that the person smoking inhales. Although the smoke that the smoker inhales is very dangerous and harmful to the body, the smoke off of a burning cigarette actually contains more harmful substances due to the smoke not being filtered when coming off of the end of the cigarette. The people being harmed the most by secondhand smoke happens to be children. Children have no choice but to endure the secondhand smoke coming off of their
Even being around someone who is smoking is bad for you. Unfortunately, just because someone stops smoking, it doesn’t mean the contaminates in cigarettes and cigars have disappeared. These harmful chemicals linger. If someone has smoked in your home, then it’s possible you are breathing in that contaminated air every day.
Health impact is not only on cigarette smokers but also the ones next to them. “Secondhand smoke is composed of side stream smoke (the smoke released from the burning end of a cigarette) and exhaled mainstream smoke (the smoke exhaled by the smoker)” (Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, 2010). Report shows that the health impact on second-hand smokers is even greater than that on the smoker. (Schick, S., & Glantz, S., 2005) Third-hand smoke is the tobacco smoke that attached to clothing, wall, furniture, hair, skin and other materials after the cigarette is extinguished. So,
Tobacco is one of the prominent sources known to trigger cancer, respiratory, cardiovascular diseases and death internationally. Involuntary exposure to a combination of cigarette smoke and the exhaled smoke from smokers is considered as Second-hand smoke (SHS), which is inhaled by everyone and is also responsible to cause harmful effects on health. Tobacco smoke constitutes thousands of toxic chemicals, even though it is a known fact that some of these toxic chemicals can cause cancer, people smoke anyway. Exposure to second-hand smoke is a major concern in public places and at home since it can cause various health issues in infants, children, and adults.
Another cardiovascular malfunction that cigarette smoking may cause are strokes. A stroke is damage to the brain caused by leakage from a ruptured blood vessel or an interruption in blood supply. Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke affect the adhesives of blood platelets, the main clotting factor in blood. This can cause blood vessels to harden and form blood clots that can flow to the brain, a major cause of strokes. Nicotine can also cause the blood vessels to constrict. When a smokers arteries become too constricted,
Another huge tobacco-related health problem is secondhand smoke. It is known to cause approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths in nonsmokers each year. By definition it is a mixture of smoke given off by the burning end of tobacco products and the smoke exhaled by smokers. Secondhand smoke contains over 4,000
Thesis Statement: Smoking has many dangerous effects on a smoker 's health and the health of those around them; it harms every organ in the body and leads to premature death.
Children do not deserve to be exposed to such toxic things so young. They are innocent victims to their parents' bad habit and life choices. Children are vulnerable and clearly do not know what these chemicals do to their bodies so they are defenseless against the dangers of secondhand smoke. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also states, "Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, hundreds are toxic and about 70 are known to cause cancer." I believe that it is not okay to for parents to think that
Even for people without breathing conditions, breathing secondhand smoke for a brief period can be deadly.
"Environmental tobacco smoke-the secondhand cigarette smoke breathed by nonsmokers is a known carcinogen and the most dangerous environmental pollutant."(Waxman 1995) Surprisingly secondhand smoke causes as many deaths as the tobacco smokers do. "Most people die from secondhand smoke each year than from car accidents."(Waxman 1995) There are a lot of reasons that causes the deaths from secondhand smoke. "Lung cancer is the best known risk from secondhand smoke."(Wilson 1997)
To add, smoking not only affects the users bodies, but also it is dangerous for those who are around them. The CDC states that secondhand smoke contains 7000 chemicals, in which 70 of those are toxic and can cause cancer (“Effects”). Since 1964, the Surgeon General’s report stated that 2.5 million adults who have never smoked cigarettes in their life have died due to