You Are Often Unaware

The problem with secondhand smoke is that you are often unaware of just how dangerous it can be for you. First and foremost, all of the dangerous chemicals and toxins that are present in smoke can linger in the air for hours after a cigarette has been smoked. So even if you aren’t directly breathing in the smoke, the air may already be polluted putting you at danger. Additionally you don’t realize just how much danger can be done, even if you aren’t the one doing the smoking. People assume that because they are not the ones lighting up that they aren’t putting themselves at risk—this is false and a very scary myth. Second hand smoke can pose the same potential dangers and put you at risk, all without you even realizing it which is even scarier in the big picture.

You Can Have Awful Side Effects

When you breathe in second hand smoke a couple of things happen. First and foremost, when you breathe in that polluted air you are taking in all of the same toxins that are present in cigarettes. Even if it has just lingered in the air for hours, the dangers are still there. What happens is that the lungs become irritated. This may be obvious through coughing or difficulty in breathing or it may happen without your knowledge. As this is occurring, the amount of oxygen in your blood is reduced and this causes problems all their own. So the short term problems are an issue in and of itself, but there are more dangers lurking beneath the surface.

Long Term Dangers

If you don’t think that you need to keep yourself away from smoke, then here’s another reason why. When you smoke, you put yourself at risk for even bigger problems down the road. Second hand smoke over time can lead to lung disease, heart disease, and even cancer. Most unsuspecting people are shocked to hear this, but it’s true! The more you are around second hand smoke, the more likely you are to develop these health problems down the road.

M.M. Frederick blogs about how to get a master of public health online.