There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Risks:
- Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke causes damage that can lead to serious disease and death.
- Secondhand smoke contains thousands of chemicals. At least 69 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer.
- Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at a higher risk of health issues, including: asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, learning disabilities, behavioral problems and more severe asthma.
- Pets breathe secondhand smoke and, as with humans, exposure is known to cause cancer and illness.
Each year, secondhand smoke exposure results in more than 41,000 deaths. (View Source) More than 4 in 10 children who go to the emergency room for asthma live with people who smoke. (View Source)