Health Hazards of Secondhand Smoke

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Health Hazards of Secondhand Smoke

• Bhavna B Mukhopadhyay
• Executive Director, VHAI
• Media Release of National AQM Study
• Constitution Club, New Delhi, 29 Oct 09

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Tobacco A Deadly Epidemic

• Tobacco use has already killed 100 million people
  worldwide in the 20th century and it can kill one
  billion people during the 21st century.

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Deaths due to tobacco use is of urgent global
concern
5.4
4.0
3.0
Deaths per Year (Millions)
1.8
1.7
1.2
1.0
0.6
Lower Resp Infect
Measles
Tobacco
Diarrheal Disease
TB
Traffic Injuries
HIV /AIDS
Malaria
Unless urgent action is taken tobacco will kill 1
billion people this century World Health
Organization
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Tobacco Death Toll

• National Scenario
• Nearly 1 million Indians will die annually from
  smoking alone by 2010.
• 50 of cancer deaths, majority of cardio-vascular
  and lung disorders other related diseases are
  attributed to tobacco consumption.
• Over 30,000 crores are spent to treat major
  tobacco related diseases in India, which is four
  times the revenue generated from the tobacco
  industry says Indian Council of Medical Research
  (ICMR)

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What is Second Hand Smoke? How is it harmful to
health?

• Secondhand smoke (SHS) is the combination of
  smoke from the burning end of the cigarette and
  the smoke exhaled by smokers. When we breathe
  secondhand smoke, it is like we are smoking.
• There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand
  smoke. Breathing even a little SHS can be
  dangerous.

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What is Second Hand Smoke? How is it harmful to
health?

• SHS is a hazardous mixture which contains over
  4000 chemicals such as cadmium, lead, arsenic,
  benzene, carbon monoxide, out of which over 69
  are carcinogenic. These chemicals are released
  into the air as particles and gases like
  nicotine, tar, benzene, carbon monoxide, ammonia,
  formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
• Secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung
  cancer and serious respiratory diseases such as
  bronchitis and asthma.

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Smoking and second-hand smoke damage every
part of the body
Smoking
Second-Hand Smoke
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Effects of SHS on pregnant women, infants and
children

• Secondhand smoke among pregnant women is a major
  cause of spontaneous abortions, still births, and
  sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) after birth.
  Children are also more likely to have lung
  problems, ear infections, and severe asthma from
  being around tobacco smoke.

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Effects of SHS on pregnant women, infants and
children
Contd.

• Studies show that older children whose parents
  smoke get sick more often. Their lung growth is
  less than children who do not breathe secondhand
  smoke. They suffer from bronchitis and pneumonia.
  Wheezing and coughing are also more common in
  such children.
• Secondhand smoke can trigger an asthma attack in
  a child. Children with asthma who are around
  secondhand smoke have worse attacks. More than 40
  percent of children who are admitted in emergency
  due to asthma live with smokers.

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How is Secondhand smoke dangerous for the heart
and lungs in adults?

• According to the US Surgeon Generals Report
  published by CDC, breathing secondhand smoke
  makes the platelets in your blood behave like
  those of a regular smoker. Even a short time in a
  smoky room causes the blood platelets to stick
  together. Secondhand smoke also damages the
  lining of your blood vessels. In your heart,
  these harmful changes can cause a deadly heart
  attack.
• Secondhand smoke changes how your heart, blood,
  and blood vessels work in many ways. Adults who
  breathe 5 hours of secondhand smoke daily have
  higher bad cholesterol that clogs arteries.
• Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer. Secondhand
  tobacco smoke contains the same cancer-causing
  chemicals that smokers inhale. Secondhand smoke
  causes lung cancer in adults who dont smoke.
  Breathing it at home or work increases the
  chances of getting lung cancer by 20 percent to
  30 percent. (CDC)

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Secondhand smoke also causes other diseases

• Secondhand smoke affects how well your lungs work
  in general. Being around smoke makes you more
  congested and cough more.
• Secondhand smoke also irritates your skin, eyes,
  nose, and throat. If you have allergies or a
  history of breathing problems, secondhand smoke
  can make you even more sick.

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Importance of creating comprehensive smoke free
environments

• Scientific evidences prove that second-hand smoke
  is a public health hazard and smoke free public
  and work places are the only way to protect the
  health of our citizens.
• Smoke free laws are successful and have multiple
  benefits they help the economy and enjoy public
  support. Smoke free laws have been enforced
  easily in France, UK, Uruguay, Ireland, Egypt,
  Hong Kong and many others.

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Smoke free rules in India

• India went smoke free on 2 October 2008. All
  public and work places such as offices, malls,
  banks, educational institutions, hotels,
  hospitals, libraries, post offices, restaurants
  and bars have been declared smoke free as
  mandated under Section 4 of COTPA.
• No Smoking signages should be prominently
  displayed and owners and managers should ensure
  smoking is prohibited in the premises.

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VHAIs AQM Study

• Approximately one year after the implementation
  of smoke free rules, VHAI conducted an Air
  Quality Monitoring Study with 11 partner
  organizations across thecountry.
• A total of 211 restaurants and bars were sampled
  in 16 cities, across 12 Indian states and Union
  territories which helped in evaluating the
  quality of air in public places like restaurants,
  bars, pubs etc.

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Objectives of the Study

• The study was conducted
• To measure the level of particulate air pollution
  from secondhand smoke in public places
• To compare the level of air quality in the
  smoking venues and smoke free venues
• To demand urgent steps from the government to
  effectively implement the law, protect the health
  of citizens from secondhand smoke and deploy
  resources to increase compliance.

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Conclusion

• The methodology, major findings and details of
  the national level study are being released today
  to the policymakers and the media.
• We hope that the recommendations and conclusions
  will be addressed by the government to make India
  truly smoke free.

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• THANK YOU
• FOR YOUR SUPPORT!