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Essay about The Harmful Effects of Second Hand Smoke

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The Harmful Effects of Second Hand Smoke

An Australian courtroom, November 2002, has banned a mother of a ten year old boy from smoking in her household (Watts). This is because of the numerous harmful effects that go along with second hand smoke. The court was protecting the child from these dangers; the mother and grandfather both admitted to smoking approximately 40 cigarettes everyday (Watts). The ruling was done by the anti-smoking lobby, and was a first for this type of case. The father of the boy brought this case to court not only because of his concerns for his son, but also because of his son’s complaints about the vast amount of smoke which existed in his household. The boy also stated that he dreaded going …show more content…

Children exposed to second hand smoke have a higher risk of developing diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, ear infections, and allergies. For women, second hand smoke increases their risk of heart attacks (Page). Many say that second hand smoke is more harmful than first hand smoke. This is because only 15% of smoke is inhaled by smokers; the other 85% is in the air for nonsmokers to inhale, whether they want to or not (Page). The dangers that result from second hand smoke include: cancer, asthma, lung infections, emphysema, heart disease, pneumonia, ear infections, strokes, sinus infections, nose ear and throat discomfort, nausea, headaches and dizziness. Twenty percent of the population is at risk for obtaining lung disease due to second hand smoke, and for those who live with a smoker, there is a thirty percent increase of getting lung cancer or heart attacks (Page). Nonsmokers can even have carcinogens found in their blood. The bottom line remains: when somebody smokes, everyone around is effected.

. There are two types of second hand smoke, both which cause dangers for those around them. These types are mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke (Page). Mainstream smoke refers to the smoke inhaled and exhaled by the smoker. This is most likely the most common type that people are exposed to. The other type, sidestream smoke, is the smoke that comes from a cigarette or cigar burning from an ashtray. This

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