According to a new report from the U.S. Surgeon General, nearly half of all nonsmoking Americans are exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis… with horrible results.
- Three thousand adult nonsmokers died in 2005 from lung cancer as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Forty-six thousand adult nonsmokers died in 2005 from coronary heart disease as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Four hundred thirty infants died from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) in 2005 as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Living with a smoker can increase your risk of lung cancer and heart disease by up to thirty percent.
So how do you avoid secondhand smoke?
- Stay away from public places where secondhand smoke is present. Several states have already made all restaurants and bars smoke free, including New York and New Jersey.
- Restrict smoking in the workplace. Allow smokers to indulge only outside, at a distance of at least fifteen feet from the nearest door so that smoke does not travel back inside.
- Make your home smoke free. If you have to smoke, do it outside at least fifteen feet from the door.
- Make your car smoke free. Rolling down a window is not enough to protect your family from secondhand smoke.
- Ask family and friends to not smoke around you and your children.
- Find out if your children’s day-care center and/or school are smoke free.
- Patronize restaurants and other businesses that are smoke free.
- Teach your children to avoid secondhand smoke. Teach them the dangers of smoking early and often, so they won’t be tempted to try it as they get older.
If you are a smoker, you may be looking for the right reason to quit. If you won’t quit for the sake of your own health, think about the health of your friends and family. Do you want your children to grow up with asthma? Do you want your spouse to suffer from lung cancer? Do you want your family to die from coronary heart disease? Quitting smoking can help reduce the risk of serious illness in the people around you.