11 Facts About Secondhand Smoke

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1. “Secondhand smoke” is the combination of gases and small particles from lighting cigarettes, pipes, or cigars, and the smoke that is exhaled from someone smoking^["Secondhand Smoke." Secondhand Smoke. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke (accessed July 25, 2014).]
2. Of the thousands of chemicals and toxins in secondhand smoke, more than 250 are known to be harmful and 69 cause cancer.^["Secondhand Smoke and Cancer." National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/ETS (accessed July 28, 2014).]
3. When children are exposed to secondhand smoke, they are more susceptible to ear infections, asthma attacks, respiratory problems, and sudden infant death syndrome. Create handmade cards encouraging smokers to quit. Sign up for Quitters Always Win.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/health_effects/ (accessed July 26, 2014).]
4. Secondhand smoke is responsible for hundreds of thousands of new cases of pneumonia and bronchitis in babies 18 months and younger every year.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/general_facts/ (accessed July 26, 2014).]
5. Secondhand smoke causes an estimated 3,400 lung cancer deaths each year in the US in those who do not smoke and increases their risk of lung cancer by 20 to 30%.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/health_effects/ (accessed July 26, 2014).]
6. In the US alone, secondhand smoke is responsible for 46,000 heart disease-related deaths every year in nonsmokers.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/health_effects/ (accessed July 26, 2014).]
7. The most recent studies report that roughly 88 million nonsmokers were exposed to secondhand smoke in America in 2007-2008.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/general_facts/ (accessed July 26, 2014).]
8. In 2014, about half of the children between ages 3 and 18 in the US were exposed to cigarette smoke regularly, either at home or in places such as restaurants that still allow smoking.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/general_facts/ (accessed July 26, 2014).]
9. There are no safe levels of secondhand smoke exposure. Any exposure to the chemicals is harmful.^["Secondhand Smoke and Cancer." National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/ETS (accessed July 28, 2014).]
10. The only way to fully protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke is to ban smoking from indoor places.^["Secondhand Smoke." Secondhand Smoke. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke (accessed July 25, 2014).]
11. Pregnant women subject to secondhand smoke are more vulnerable to spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), stillborn birth, low birth-weight for babies, and other pregnancy-related problems.^["Secondhand Smoke." Secondhand Smoke. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke (accessed July 25, 2014).]