PASSIVE SMOKING - BASIC
FACTS
Passive smoking is breathing in other people's tobacco smoke (sometimes
called environmental tobacco smoke). Only 15 per cent of the smoke from a
cigarette is inhaled by the smoker. The rest goes into the surrounding air, and
other people can breathe it in.
Breathing air which contains tobacco smoke can be bad for your health. This
is because the tiny particles and gases in tobacco smoke contain over four
thousand chemicals, many of which are harmful. At least 60 are known to cause
cancer (e.g. arsenic, benzene, chromium, nickel, vinyl chloride, cadmium,
formaldehyde, etc.). Carbon monoxide, the same gas that comes out of car
exhausts, is the main gas in cigarette smoke.
Symptoms
Breathing other people's smoke is uncomfortable and can cause:
- nose, throat, and chest irritation
- breathing difficulties
- coughing
- sneezing
- red and runny eyes
- a runny nose
- headaches
- dizziness
- nausea and lack of concentration
If you have a long-term health problem, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis
or certain allergies, passive smoking can make it worse. Doctors now say that
passive smoking causes serious and sometimes fatal illnesses. The UK
Government's Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health has
estimated that several hundred non-smokers die each year from lung cancer
caused by passive smoking. The risk of lung cancer from passive smoking is
small, but some 50 to 100 times greaterthan the risk of lung cancer from
exposure to asbestos. Also, research suggests that passive smoking is linked to
heart disease and death from heart attack.
Children
Babies and children who cannot avoid smoke where they live and play are at
particular risk. Babies of smokers are much more likely to be taken to hospital
with chest trouble in their first year of life than non-smokers' children.
Children with a parent who smokes have more chest, ear, nose, and throat
infections than non-smokers' children. And the more cigarettes smoked at home,
the greater the risk to the child. Children exposed to smoke are more likely to
develop breathing problems as adults.
Pregnancy
Unborn babies are also at risk from passive smoking. The risk to unborn
babies of pregnant women who smoke has been known for many years, but it now
seems that unborn babies of pregnant non-smoking women are also at risk if the
women are exposed to passive smoking. Women who have been regularly exposed to
passive smoking during pregnancy tend to have smaller babies. Being small at
birth makes it harder for the baby to make a good start in life.
If you are pregnant, do not smoke. Avoid smoky places. Family and friends
should avoid smoking in front of children and pregnant women. Ask guests not to
smoke.
Public places
The trouble with tobacco smoke is that it gets everywhere. Separating
smokers and non-smokers in the same room may reduce the level of smoke in the
non-smoking area, but this is not enough. Air filters, ventilators or
extraction systems may reduce, but do not prevent, exposure to other people's
smoke.
We must make sure that non-smokers do not have to live or work in smoky
conditions by ensuring that all enclosed public places are smoke-free. Where
appropriate, separate rooms should be provided for smoking.
Although many countries in Europe and elsewhere now have laws to ensure that
smoking is restricted in public places, the British Government has taken a
different approach so far. It encourages restrictions on smoking in public
places. But in practice it is mainly left to employers and those who control
public buildings and transport to decide whether or not smoking should be
restricted.
The workplace
It is at work that most adults have problems with passive smoking. However,
many employers now have policies which guarantee smoke-free working areas. The
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 makes it the employer's duty to ensure
that the working environment is safe. Legally, employers are also under a
general obligation to warn employees about dangerous conditions at work and to
safeguard their welfare. Non-smokers may be able to sue their employers if they
suffer health damage from passive smoking at work. This could include health
damage to the unborn children of employees.
Industrial tribunals may also offer some protection. Smokers should keep
their smoke away from other people, but non-smokers can take action, too.
If you are an employer, make a healthier workplace and safeguard your legal
position. Every company should have a smoke-free working policy. If you are an
employee, talk to your employer and union about passive smoking worries, and
your desire for a safer workplace.
If no action is taken and tobacco smoke is polluting your workplace, contact
the Environmental Health Department or Health and Safety Inspectorate who can
order your employer to remove the pollution or stop work in that area. If you
think that your health has been damaged because your employer is not fulfilling
his or her duty, contact your union or a lawyer for advice.
If you leave your job because of a smoking problem, you may be able to take
your case to an industrial tribunal. Seek legal advice before leaving a job
because of a passive smoking problem.
Other public areas
Many public places have separate areas for people who wish to smoke. Where
smoking policies have been introduced, they have proved very popular with
non-smokers and smokers alike. This applies to schools, hospitals, restaurants,
buses, cinemas, pubs, and many other places where people spend time and may
have to put up with a smoky atmosphere. If you frequent any of these places,
find out who is in charge and ask them to provide smoke-free areas. If you are
a manager who provides a service to the public, introduce a policy which
provides smoke-free accommodation, if you have not already done so.
Further information
Passive smoking is not only unpleasant for most people, it is also a health
hazard. Contact any of the following organisations for further information and
support.
ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)
Devon House
12-15 Dartmouth Street
London
SWIH 9BL
 020-7314 1360
 020-7222 4343
ASH Northern Ireland
The Ulster Cancer Foundation
40 Eglantine Avenue
Belfast
BT9 6DX
01232 663281
01232 660081
ASH Scotland
8 Frederick Street
Edinburgh
EH2 2HB
0131-225 4725
0131-220 6604
ASH Wales
372a Cowbridge Road East
Cardiff
CF5 1HF
02920 641101
02920 641045
QUIT
170 Tottenham Court Road
London
WIP 0HA
020-7388 5775
020-7388 5995
Health Education Authority
Hamilton House
Mabledon Place
London
WC 1H 9TX
020-7383 3833
020-7387 0550
Health Education Board for Scotland
Woodburn House
Canaan Lane
Edinburgh
EH10 4SG
0131-447 8044
0131-452 8140
The Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland
18 Ormeau Avenue
Belfast
BT2 8HS
01232 311611
01232 311711
Health Promotion Wales
Ffynnon-Las
Ty Glas Avenue
Llanishen
Cardiff
CF4 5DZ
02920 752222
02920 756000
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