Environmental exposures

• Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, also known as 'passive smoking', occurs from breathing other people's smoke.
• Both the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by a smoker contribute to environmental tobacco smoke.
• There is clear evidence about the effects of tobacco smoke on the health of non-smokers.
• Major reports on passive smoking consistently find that passive smoking is associated with cardiovascular disease in non-smokers living with smokers.
• Passive smoking can also cause:
  
  • lung cancer
  • nasal sinus cancer
  • stroke
  • respiratory tract irritation
  • an increased risk of bronchitis and pneumonia
  • onset of asthma in children
  • sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
  • middle ear infections
  • increased frequency and severity of asthma symptoms