Introduction
Quite often, people who smoke tobacco are perceived to be at a higher risk of lung cancer and other conditions associated with the smoking of tobacco than the people who though do not smoke, live with smokers. However, this perception is not necessarily accurate. Individuals who are exposed to the smoke from a burning tobacco have equal or higher chances of developing conditions associated with tobacco-smoking than their counterparts who are active tobacco smokers. The smoke from a burning tobacco can be inhaled by a non-tobacco smoker involuntarily. This kind of smoke is referred to as a secondhand smoke (SHS). This essay discusses various effects of secondhand smoke.
SHS refers to the smoke coming from a burning tobacco or tobacco product such as a cigar, a cigarette, and a pipe among others (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015, August 20, What Is Secondhand Smoke? para. 1). According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) (2015, what is secondhand smoke? para. 1), two forms of smoke coming from the burning tobacco constitute SHS. They include mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke. The smoke exhaled by a smoker constitutes the mainstream smoke. On the other hand, the sidestream smoke refers to the smoke coming from the lighted end of a pipe, a cigarette, or tobacco that is burning in a hookah (ACS, 2015, what is secondhand smoke? para. 1). The sidestream smoke is reported to be having high concentrations of carcinogens. It is also more toxic than the mainstream smoke. The carcinogenic particles from the sidestream smoke enter the lungs relatively more easily, hence the need to minimize exposure to the sidestream smoke.
Exposure to SHS is a significant predisposing factor for lung cancer and other respiratory disorders associated with tobacco. It contributes to many cases of tobacco-related cancer among the adult non-smokers in the United States. Lung cancer is the main problem associated with exposure to tobacco smoke. This condition does not only affect smokers. Rather, it also affects non-smokers exposed to SHS. As a matter of fact, exposure to SHS contributes to an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths among the non-smoking adults in the United States each year (National Cancer Institute (NCI), 2011, January 12, Does exposure to secondhand smoke cause cancer? Para. 2). Furthermore, if a non-smoker lives with a smoker, then the chances of the non-smoker of developing a lung cancer increase by 20 to 30 percent (US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 2006, p.3).
Several studies also show that there is a close association between the exposure to SHS and the risk of developing lung cancer. For instance, the study carried out by Hirayama (2000) found that there is an association between husband smoking habit and a wife’s risk of developing lung cancer. The study sought to determine if living with a husband who is a heavy smoker leads to an increase in the risk of developing lung cancer among Japanese women (Hirayama, 2000). The study involved non-smoking Japanese wives aged 40years and above. Besides, a longitudinal method was used. The findings of this study can apply to other populations. In a meta-analysis conducted by Zhong, Goldberg, Parent, and Hanley (2000), the relative risk of lung cancer among the non-smoking women who have ever been exposed to the environmental tobacco smoke was found to be 1.2 at 95 percent confidence interval. The analysis used a total of 35 case-control and five cohort studies (Zhong, Goldberg, Parent & Hanley, 2000). The study was conducted to calculate an estimate of the relative risk of developing lung cancer.
The statistics presented above show that exposure to SHS significantly predisposes people to lung cancer. SHS is reported to contain many chemicals that cause cancer as well as other toxic substances that are harmful to the body. Indeed, it is reported that SHS contains more than 7,000 toxic chemicals out of which 70 cause cancer ACS (ACS, 2015, Secondhand smoke causes cancer, para. 1). This reason coupled with the statistics and the findings of the studies discussed above show that indeed, non-smokers can be at a risk of developing lung cancer if they get exposed to SHS. This purpose of this essay is to discuss the effects of exposure to SHS and the possible ways of preventing or minimizing SHS exposure. The essay examines the effects of SHS on both adults and children.
Effects of SHS
Any level of exposure to SHS is harmful to the body. Indeed, the US Surgeon General’s Report of 2006 concluded that no level of exposure to SHS is safe (US Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). Exposure to SHS does not affect adults alone. Instead, it affects the infants and children who are non-smokers too. Children who are exposed to SHS are at a higher risk of developing many complications than their counterparts who are not exposed to SHS. Some of the most common effects of SHS exposure include the following: Low Birth Weight, cognitive impairments, respiratory problems, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), behavioral problems, and asthma among others.
Concerning low birth weight, it is important to point out that infants get exposed to SHS when a pregnant mother is exposed to the same. In other words, exposure to SHS has the same effect on expectant women as smoking during pregnancy. Several studies also show that maternal exposure to SHS is associated with low birth weight. For instance, in the study conducted by Windham, Hopkins, Fenster, and Swan (2000), prenatal exposure to SHS was found to be associated with preterm birth and low birth weight. The study used prospective approach to determine if there is an association between maternal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and preterm birth and low birth weight. Low birth weight leads to many problems in the subsequent stages of child’s development. Indeed, children who have low weight at birth are likely to experience delays in growth in their subsequent stages of development. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid any level of exposure to SHS during pregnancy.
Exposure to SHS has neurotoxic effects. Children who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke during the prenatal or postnatal stage are likely to encounter learning difficulties in their subsequent stages of development. Even relatively lower levels of SHS exposure are detrimental to the children’s health. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is one of the most serious public health problem facing children. Indeed, it is reported that at least 21.9 million children are at a risk of developing reading deficits due to the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Yolton et al., 2005, p.5). Exposure to SHS is also responsible for behavioral disorders in children such as attention deficit. This effect has also been reported in children born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy.
Asthma attack is the most common effect of exposure to SHS. Asthmatic attacks and other respiratory conditions contribute significantly to school absenteeism. Consequently, they are not likely to perform well in schools. Failure to perform well in school increases one’s chances of earning low income in future. With low income, one is likely to live in neighborhoods with poor environmental conditions. Children who already suffer from asthma are likely to experience more asthmatic attacks if they are exposed further to SHS. Children who are exposed to SHS at an early stage are at a higher risk of developing other respiratory problems in future than their counterparts who are not exposed to SHS. Furthermore, maternal exposure to SHS is associated with lifetime wheezing in children born to such mothers. Some studies have reported an association between maternal exposure to SHS or maternal smoking during pregnancy and wheezing or asthma in children. For example, the study conducted by Gilliland and Peters (2001) found that maternal smoking and maternal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy is associated with wheezing and asthma during childhood. The study sought to determine the effects of maternal smoking and environmental tobacco smoke exposure on asthma and wheezing during childhood (Gilliland & Peters, 2001). The retrogressive design was used in the study to explore exposure to the environmental tobacco smoke. Maternal smoking or maternal exposure to SHS also remains one of the strongest factors that increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
In general, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke has a severe impact on the health of children. It does not only affect the immediate health of the children but also affect their health in their subsequent stages of life. The children affected at an early stage or during fetal development are affected significantly. First, such children are usually at a higher risk of low birth weight and preterm birth. Low birth weight is associated with cognitive development as well as physical development. Therefore, children born with low birth weight are likely to experience difficulty in learning. Furthermore, they are at a higher risk than their counterparts with healthy birth weight to experience behavioral disorders. For instance, such children are likely to develop attention deficit that further affects their learning ability. Children exposed to SHS early in life are also at a high risk of developing respiratory problems both during childhood and during adulthood. All these problems impacted negatively on the child’s health and wellbeing throughout his/ her life. Therefore, the effects of SHS are like a death sentence to the children since it is hard to restore the damages they cause.
The effect of SHS on adults cannot be underestimated. Adults tend to have a higher level of exposure to SHS than children because they engage in more risky behaviors than children. Besides, places of work and other public places provide exposure to SHS. Lung cancer is the main effect of SHS on adults who are non-smokers. According to ACA (2015, secondhand smoke causes cancer, para. 2), SHS has been linked to cancers of the following in many studies: pharynx, brain, larynx, lung, breast, and even stomach. Other than lung cancer, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is associated with many heath conditions. For instance, exposure to SHS is associated with heart disease. Indeed, according to NCI (2011, January 12, what are the other health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke? Para. 1), the exposure to SHS can increase the risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30percent. Furthermore, SHS is reported to be responsible for an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths annually in the United States (NCI, 2011, January 12, what are the other health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke? Para. 1). Stroke has also been linked to the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Exposure to SHS is also associated with various respiratory conditions among the adult population. Indeed, the fact that it leads to lung cancer implies that it affects the respiratory function of the lung. Exposure to SHS also leads to asthma in adults. In addition, SHS have been linked to the hardening of arteries. However, adequate studies have not been carried out on this claim (NCI, 2011, January 12, what are the other health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke? Para. 1).
In conclusion, SHS exposure is responsible for many cases of lung cancer, heart disease, and other respiratory conditions. Environmental tobacco smoke remains one of the most common causes of cancer mortality and morbidity among non-smokers. SHS is also linked to asthma, retarded growth, and many other conditions in children. However, people can do much to prevent or reduce the level of exposure to SHS.
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2015, August 20). Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Facts. Smoking & Tobacco Use. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/general_facts/
American Cancer Society (ACS). (2015, November13). Health Risks of Secondhand Smoke. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke
National Cancer Institute (NCI). (2011, January 12). Secondhand Smoke and Cancer. About Cancer. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/second-hand-smoke-fact-sheet
US Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). The health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 709.
Hirayama, T. (2000). Non-smoking wives of heavy smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer: a study from Japan. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 78(7), 940-942.
Zhong, L., Goldberg, M. S., Parent, M. E., & Hanley, J. A. (2000). Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and the risk of lung cancer: a meta-analysis. Lung cancer, 27(1), 3-18.
Windham, G. C., Hopkins, B., Fenster, L., & Swan, S. H. (2000). Prenatal active or passive tobacco smoke exposure and the risk of preterm delivery or low birth weight. Epidemiology, 11(4), 427-433.
Yolton, K., Dietrich, K., Auinger, P., Lanphear, B. P., & Hornung, R. (2005). Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and cognitive abilities among US children and adolescents. Environmental health perspectives, 98-103.
Gilliland, F. D., Li, Y. F., & Peters, J. M. (2001). Effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy and environmental tobacco smoke on asthma and wheezing in children. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 163(2), 429-436.
