Tobacco smoke pollution, also called secondhand smoke, is a mixture of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke that is exhaled by smokers.  When a cigarette is smoked, as much as 85% of the smoke goes out into the air to be inhaled by others.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds, of which at least 250 are known to be toxic or carcinogenic.  Because of the way it is formed, secondhand smoke contains higher concentrations of the same compounds inhaled by the smoker. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies secondhand tobacco smoke as a Group A carcinogen (a substance known to cause cancer in humans).  There is no safe level of exposure to Group A carcinogens.

Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States.   (Not surprisingly, active smoking leads the list.)

Secondhand smoke is responsible for  about 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually among adult nonsmokers. It may also cause as many as 46,000 deaths from heart disease.  

Lung cancer now surpasses breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.  Non-smoking spouses of heavy smokers have a nearly doubled risk of developing lung cancer.

A recent Surgeon General's report concluded that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.  Even brief exposure can have health consequences.

Exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate effects on the heart, blood and blood vessels, increasing the risk of having a heart attack. People who already have heart disease are at especially high risk. 

Secondhand smoke causes immediate respiratory damage and  irritation. The Surgeon General advises persons with asthma and other respiratory conditions to avoid exposure.

Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy has been linked to a reduction in the birth weight of babies.  This reduction can result in a higher likelihood of dying in the first year of life and other long term health problems.

Bars have some of the highest secondhand smoke levels.  Bar workers and patrons are therefore particularly at risk.

Workplaces are a major source of secondhand smoke exposure for adults. Secondhand smoke causes more deaths each year than all other regulated chemical work hazards combined. 

The Surgeon General has concluded that a smoke-free environment is the only effective way to eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.  Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposure.  

Watch this outstanding video from the Surgeon General's Office on secondhand smoke in the workplace.    [Flash Player]    [Real Player]     

Be sure to visit our Workplaces Page for more information about the effects of secondhand smoke exposure at work.