The dangers of secondhand smoke Tobacco smoke contains about
4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons such as DDT and
carbon monoxide. Every time someone smokes, these poisons are
released into the air. Studies show that this secondhand smoke
can have harmful effects on nonsmokers and even cause them to
develop diseases such as lung cancer. Secondhand smoke has an
especially bad effect on infants and children. A number of
studies show that in the first two years of life, babies of
parents who smoke at home have a much higher rate of lung
diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, than babies with
nonsmoking parents. A study involving children ages 5 to 9
showed impaired lung function in youngsters who had smoking
parents compared to those whose parents were nonsmokers. Being
able to breathe clean air free from harmful tobacco smoke is a
serious issue for everyone. At home, at work, and in public
places, it is important to know how dangerous smoking can be to
smokers and nonsmokers alike. What you can do