Recent studies have showed small but significant increases in risk of coronary heart disease and cancer among non-smokers exposed to cigarette and cigar smoke -- a risk that increases with higher levels and longer duration of smoke exposure.
- Passive smoke has been linked with development of lung cancer, heart attack, low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, chronic respiratory problems, eye and nasal irritation, and middle ear infection.
- Children are particularly at risk to adverse health effects from passive smoke.
- Passive smoke has twice as much nicotine and tar; three times as much of the cancer-causing chemical 3,4 benzpyrene, five times as much carbon monoxide, and perhaps 50 times as much ammonia.
- Medical experts consider the smoke from pipe and cigars just as potentially harmful to non-smokers as cigarette smoke.
Sources:
Based on information from MSN/Health by WebMD, American Journal of Preventive Medicine and the American Lung Association