Secondhand smoke: What you should know
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A Kentucky health problem
Most people know that smoking tobacco is very risky for the smoker. But did you know that tobacco smoke is dangerous for nonsmokers, too?
Secondhand smoke comes from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar. It also comes from smoke exhaled from the smoker. Each year secondhand smoke causes about 46,000 deaths to nonsmokers from heart disease and 3,000 deaths from lung cancer.
Children living in households where adults smoke are at high risk of exposure to secondhand smoke. Parents who smoke provide almost 90 percent of a child’s exposure to secondhand smoke. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). They also have more health problems such as pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma and ear infections. Children living in households where adults smoke are hospitalized more than children living in smoke-free homes.
Secondhand Smoke Clinical Update
Read the latest news on secondhand smoke.
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