Addiction is becoming dependent on a substance, and you cannot live without it. There are many substances that you might become addicted to, like alcohol, caffeine, morphine, and others. Smoking is one of these substances that leads to health deterioration (stroke, lung cancer, blood problems). But, we forget about the effect of smoking on non-smokers (second-hand smoke).
Is second-hand smoke real?
Second-hand smoke has, in many settings, the same results as smoking itself. Some studies show 2.5 million people have died since 1964 from second-hand smoke. For this reason, we can say that second-hand smoke is accurate, affects people, and, most importantly, needs a quick solution.
Second-hand smoke is what you inhale from others’ breath without smoking and without knowing the outcomes.
Both sources release harmful substances when sitting in the same room or far away from the smoker. In addition, exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of heart disease by 25 to 30% in non-smokers.
Second-hand smoke is an issue that you can’t ignore or avoid in your life. It exists in every environment or all surroundings because of the heavy smokers everywhere. When we observe these statistics and start tackling the topic of second-hand smoke, many questions come to mind: Is second-hand smoke worse than smoking? Does second-hand smoke kill? Can you get second-hand smoke from clothing? Is second-hand smoke harmful?
Second-hand smoke can affect you from the smoker, his clothes, his cigarette, and even his bow in your face. Second-hand smoke has many health consequences for adults and children. Adults who never smoke may have lung cancer, stroke, or premature death. For example, people at parties suffer from health problems even if they do not smoke due to exposure to toxic gases from other smokers, without recognizing the reality of this fact. Also, second-hand smoke affects children’s health which might lead to ear infections, respiratory problems, bronchitis, and behavioral problems (ADHD, anxiety, and others).
Second-hand and active smoking are similar in causing stroke, heart attack, or even death. When people smoke indoors or in a room with poor ventilation, both second-hand smoke and smokers are affected similarly. Second-hand smoke outsider sitting in a room with good ventilation helps the smoke emit into the atmosphere and scatter everywhere, which will have less impact on other non-smokers. The problem of passive smoking is not only in the health issues it causes but also in the fact that a passive smoker does not know the outcomes. So, he will not give any importance to his hypertension, chest pain, and headache. They think that he has no risk factors for any dangerous disease.
Sore Throat from Second-hand Smoke
Smoking consequences are acute (occurs directly after 4-5 cigarettes/day) or chronic (occurs in the long run, after many years of heavy smoking). One of the most painful acute outcomes is a sore throat, which might lead to problems in swallowing and even a tonsils infection. How long does a sore throat from second-hand smoke last? We can notice that sore throat is worse for smokers than for second-hand smokers because smokers inhale all the toxic substances in cigarettes. In passive smokers, sore throat remains as long as the person is exposed to the smoke.
Don’t forget that second-hand smoke is contaminated, and inhaling it from cigarettes is toxic, so your life is at risk from two sides: the gas itself and the smoker’s breathing. An important example to mention here is the Sublime second-hand smoke: A band known as sublime released an album entitled Second-hand smoke after the death of Bradley Nowell, the principal member of this band, who died because of a heroin overdose.
Second-hand aerosol has the same effect as smoking on human health because aerosol spreads toxic particles in the air that people will inhale. We can say that second-hand smoke and aerosols are more bothersome than dangerous because of the spreading fog everywhere. Also, they both have a terrible impact on non-smokers due to the nicotine and other chemical substances released that affect the lungs. Second-hand smoke and aerosol involve the psychological state of the surroundings, increasing anxiety, and depression risk.
Finally, to save your life, lower the toxins you inhale by sitting far away from smokers. Whether you are a smoker or a second-hand smoker, the fact that the toxic smoke will destroy your life and deteriorates your health is present. Evidence shows that 80% of second-hand smoke is invisible, and people notice its consequences after deteriorating their health. So prevention is more beneficial than treatment.
