On this page: Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning of tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars or pipes and the smoke exhaled by smokers. Secondhand smoke is also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Exposure to secondhand smoke is sometimes called involuntary or passive
smoking. Secondhand smoke, classified by EPA as a Group A carcinogen, contains more than 7,000 substances. Secondhand smoke exposure commonly occurs indoors, particularly in homes and cars. Secondhand smoke can move between rooms of a home and between apartment units. Opening a window or increasing ventilation in a home or car is not protective from secondhand smoke. The health effects of
secondhand smoke on nonsmoking adults and children are harmful and numerous. Secondhand smoke causes cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), lung cancer, sudden infant death syndrome, more frequent and severe asthma attacks, and other serious health problems. Several landmark health assessments regarding secondhand smoke have been conducted. Key findings:
Learn more about the health effects of secondhand smoke from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Secondhand smoke poses particular health risks to children with asthma.
Read EPA’s 1999 health assessment, Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders. What Can You Do to Reduce Exposure to Secondhand Smoke?Eliminating secondhand smoke in the indoor environment will reduce its harmful health effects, improve the indoor air quality and the comfort or health of occupants. Secondhand smoke exposure can be reduced through mandated or voluntary smoke-free policy implementation. Some workplaces and enclosed public spaces such as bars and restaurants are smoke-free by law. People can establish and enforce smoke-free rules in their own homes and cars. For multifamily housing, smoke-free policy implementation could be mandatory or voluntary, depending on the type of property and location (e.g., ownership and jurisdiction).
Many resources are available to assist you in implementing smoke-free policies and to quit smoking:
How Much Progress Has Been Made Nationally in Reducing Exposure to Secondhand Smoke?January 2018 marked the 25th anniversary of the landmark EPA health assessment, “Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders.” To learn about progress over the years, read: Reducing Exposure to Secondhand Smoke – U.S. Progress Since EPA’s 1993 Landmark Report. ResourcesThe following links exit the site
Scientific Resources
Which detail best helps answer the research question are smoke free policies effective?Which detail best helps answer the research question "Are smokefree policies effective in protecting people from the dangers of secondhand smoke?" "SHS from units or common areas where smoking occurs can seep into smokefree units."
Which detail best helps answer the research question why are federal?Which detail best helps answer the research question "Why are federal judges and justices appointed to life terms?" C. "By design, this insulates them from the temporary passions of the public, and allows them to apply the law with only justice in mind, and not electoral or political concerns."
What should an effective research question be check all that apply?All research questions should be:. Focused on a single problem or issue.. Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources.. Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints.. Specific enough to answer thoroughly.. Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis.. What are the characteristics of a strong and effective research question?The characteristics of a good research question, assessed in the context of the intended study design, are that it be feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, and relevant (which form the mnemonic FINER; Table 2.1).
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