Secondhand Smoke

What Is Secondhand Smoke?

Secondhand smoke (SHS) comes from:

  • The burning end of a cigarette or other tobacco product
  • The smoke breathed out by someone smoking
  • There's also secondhand aerosol from e-cigarettes or vapes. This cloud looks like smoke and contains harmful chemicals.

 

 

Why It Matters

Secondhand smoke is harmful and can cause serious health problems like:

  • Heart disease, heart attacks and strokes
  • Lung diseases and lung cancer
  • Other types of cancer

For babies and children, being around secondhand smoke can lead to:

  • Breathing issues and lung infections
  • Ear infections
  • Learning and behavior problems

Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have:

  • Babies born too early or too small
  • Babies who die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Secondhand Smoke Stories

The CDC has collected stories of people who have been hurt by secondhand smoke:

Meet Ellie. Ellie, age 57, lives in Florida and never smoked. At 35, she started having asthma attacks triggered from breathing secondhand smoke at work. The severe attacks forced her to leave a job she loved.

Meet Jamason. Jamason, age 18, lives in Kentucky. He was an infant when he was diagnosed with asthma. When people smoke around him, the secondhand smoke can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks.

Meet Jessica. Jessica, age 28, lives in New York and has never smoked. Her son, Aden, was diagnosed with asthma at age 3. Exposure to secondhand smoke has triggered his asthma attacks.

Meet Nathan. Nathan lived in Idaho and was a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe. He was exposed to secondhand smoke at work. This caused permanent lung damage and triggered asthma attacks so severe he had to leave his job. His illness led to his death on October 17, 2013. He was 54.

Reports and Research

Surgeon General's Report (CDC): The 2014 Surgeon General's Report added stroke to the health problems known to be caused by SHS.

Smoking and Lead Exposure in NC Children (Duke University) (PDF): The 2019 report from Duke University's Environmental Law and Policy Clinic outlines how secondhand smoke and smoking during pregnancy exposes infants and young children to lead.

Surgeon General: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke (CDC): The 2006 report from the U.S. Surgeon General explains all the known health risks of SHS and states, "there is no known safe level of exposure to SHS."

 

Health Hazards

Major Conclusions of the Surgeon General's Report

  1. SHS causes premature death and disease in children and adults who do not smoke.
  2. Exposed children have increased risk for:
    • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
    • Acute respiratory infections
    • Ear problems
    • Severe asthma
  3. Parents' smoking impacts their children by:
    • Causing respiratory symptoms
    • Slowing lung growth
  4. Exposing adults to SHS causes:
    • Immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system
    • Coronary heart disease
    • Lung cancer
  5. The scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to SHS.
  6. Many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to SHS in their homes and workplaces.
  7. Eliminating indoor smoking significantly protects nonsmokers from exposure to SHS.
  8. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposure to SHS.

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