Genesee County Health Department
Better Life Through Better Health
Secondhand Smoke
Smoking. The risks are well known. But
smoking is not only a health risk to those who smoke. Exposure to smoke
from other people’s tobacco products, can increase coughs, eye
irritation, bronchitis, respiratory infections and pneumonia. In
children, exposure can lead to repeated ear infections, asthma episodes,
and increased sick-baby visits to the doctor. Infants exposed to
secondhand smoke are also at a higher risk of dying from Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Non-smokers can actually
"smoke" a cigarette if they are exposed to secondhand smoke in
the following ways:
- Sitting for 2 hours in the
non-smoking section of a restaurant where smoke drifts in from the
smoking section is equivalent to smoking one and a half cigarettes.
- Being in a car for one hour with a
smoker, with the windows closed, is like smoking three cigarettes.
- Spending one day in a pack-a-day
smoker’s home is like smoking three cigarettes.
To reduce exposure to secondhand smoke,
follow these simple tips:
- Eat only at smoke-free restaurants or
ask for a table in the non-smoking section that is farthest away
from the smoking section.
- Avoid smoking around non-smokers in
the home and car, especially near children. Smoke outside.
- Quit smoking, or support friends and
loved ones who are trying to quit.
For a free smoke-free dining guide, stop
smoking resource list, or for more information about secondhand smoke,
call the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Services Office at the Genesee
County Health Department at (810) 257-3612.
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