Home page I face second hand smoke

5 truths about passive smoking.

Passive smoking is a true health problem affecting us all. Understanding is a first step to reducing and eventually avoiding its dangers in the long run.

My aim

I face second hand smoke

How to convince

Passive smoking affects two kinds of people:

- Children, who cannot defend themselves.
- Non-smoker adults, who must be aware of the dangers and avoid them.

Even before birth, a child can be a tobacco victim.
Obviously this is true if the mother smokes or if she is a non-smoker and the father smokes, or if she stays in a smoking environment. The effects of this can be premature births, malformations and abnormally low birth weights. For young children, a smoking environment leads to respiratory infections, ear infections, contributes to asthma attacks and is a risk factor for cot deaths.

The child is not aware of the danger that tobacco smoke represents and will not try to protect himself from it. A child spending 80% of his time in confined places and inhaling smoke will generate a habit and, later, a dependency.

Smoke contains more than 4,000 products, most of which are toxic, and 40 carcinogenic substances that are inhaled by the smoker as well as by those close to him.

A non-smoker whose spouse smokes has a 25% increased risk of suffering from lung cancer.
Other diseases, such as cardio-vascular disease, are possible as well.

Airing a smoky room minimizes the smell of tobacco, but only partially eliminates the chemical components that smoke is made of.
The air quality in a room where a smoker has been remains bad long after the smoker has left.

Even though public places tend to be non-smoking areas, it is sometimes difficult to avoid tobacco annoyance.
The non-smoker person, for his/her well-being, will favour places where smoking is forbidden (bars, restaurants, discotheques…)

There's a Helper to help
you achieve all your goals!

Helpers : Skinny

Are you a victim of passive smoking?
See Skinny, he always knows what to do.


Find help HELP CENTRES NEAR ME
Find information about help centres in your country.

Expert advice

Luke Clancy

Watch an interview with Professor Luke Clancy, ENSP President, Director General, Research Institute for a Tobacco Free Society

Tips gallery

Anti-smoking tips

No matter how serious or strange, tips from other
Internet users are here to help … or at least to entertain!

HELP CENTRES NEAR ME
Find information about help centres in your country.
Copyright © 2010 EU-Help An initiative of the European Union