Writer: Catherine Lu
Email: lucatherine811@gmail.com
Figure 1. Cigarettes
Introduction
Passive smoking, also known as secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke means the inhalation of tobacco smoke by non-smokers. This usually happens outdoors, when nonsmokers pass by active smokers, they do not realize that they are involuntarily breathing in harmful chemicals. This is usually an overlooked topic that deserves more attention globally.
Statistics provided by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (“About passive smoking”):
For every 8 smokers who die from a smoking-related disease, 1 non-smoker dies from second-hand smoke exposure.
Non-smokers who live with a smoker have a 25% to 30% greater risk of developing heart disease.
What does cigarette smoke contain?
Cigarette smoke contains over 7000 harmful chemicals that are known to cause cancer and heart disease, referred to as “carcinogens”. Some of them are carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas), arsenic, ammonia, formaldehyde, cyanide, benzene, and toluene.
(Bradfield and Potter 87)
What happens when carbon monoxide is breathed in?
When carbon monoxide (CO) is breathed in, it poses harmful health risks. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as wood, gasoline, and natural gas. When inhaled, it binds to hemoglobin more easily than oxygen does. Consequently, a compound called carboxyhemoglobin is formed. This interferes with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. The following health problems are some of which can occur when CO is breathed in:
Brain Damage: Less oxygen will be carried to the brain.
Cardiovascular Difficulties: CO leads to an increased risk of heart problems, which can cause heart disease and heart attacks.
Respiratory Difficulties: Coughing and difficulty breathing can occur, as the air passages will be less clear and its lining will be destroyed.
Fetal Harm: When pregnant women smoke, their unborn fetus will be deprived of oxygen. This can lead to underdevelopment and low body mass of the fetus, and can sometimes lead to a miscarriage.
Are vapes/electronic cigarettes an exclusion?
The answer is no.
Electronic cigarettes, commonly referred to as “vape”, heat a liquid solution to create an inhalable aerosol. Vapes come in different forms and flavors.
Although vaping is generally considered to be less harmful than cigarettes, it still affects the health of people who passively inhale it. Instead of producing secondhand smoke, vaping produces secondhand aerosol which also contains harmful substances. Some of them are nicotine, heavy metals (e.g. lead), volatile organic compounds, and carcinogens.
Figure 2. Records of children under the age of 15 years who tend to be more vulnerable to passive smoking than adults.
Measures to Take for Children
Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of passive smoking. Exposure to passive smoking can cause:
Ear infections
Lung infections
Asthma flare-ups
Coughing, sore throats, sniffling and sneezing
What parents can do to protect children from passive smoking:
Establish a smoke-free household
Educate family and visitors
Quit smoking
Teach children about the health hazards of smoking
Raise awareness
General Perception of Secondhand Smoke
Most individuals, whether they smoke or not, share a belief that working or residing with people who smoke may impact the health of non-smokers. However, non-smokers are more likely to think this way. In 1985, Victorian research revealed that 80% of individuals and 57% of those who did agreed that breathing in secondhand smoke could harm the health of non-smokers. In 2004, findings from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey indicated that approximately 90% of non-smokers and 70% of smokers believed that living, working, or socializing with smokers could lead to health issues. Furthermore, it is generally agreed (by both smokers and non-smokers) that the likelihood of impacting a non-smoker’s health was slightly higher when exposed to secondhand smoke at home compared to working or socializing with smokers.
Conduct Regarding Exposure to Cigarette Smoke
In a Victorian study, both smokers and non-smokers were questioned about how they would react if someone started smoking nearby.
Smokers: Smokers exhibited a higher likelihood of taking no action (46%) or opting to smoke cigarettes themselves (27%). Nevertheless, a quarter of smokers expressed a willingness to take measures to avoid smoke, such as moving away or requesting the smoker to stop.
Non-smokers: The majority of non-smokers (71%) indicated that they would maintain distance, while a minority (6%) claimed that they would ask the smoker to stop.
Tobacco Control Measures
Tobacco control measures aim to decrease tobacco and limit exposure to secondhand smoke. Among these measures, it is seen that graphic warning labels play a crucial role in spreading awareness of the risks of smoking to reduce tobacco consumption. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) recommends displaying picture warnings on at least 50% of tobacco product packaging.
Here are some examples of pictorial health warnings on cigarette smoke on World No Tobacco Day 31 May 2009:
Figure 3, 4, & 5. World Health Organization 2009
In this special issue, Anh Ngo and colleagues conducted a study investigating the correlation between smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption, and the presence of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packaging. Analyzing global data from over 60 countries, they discovered that countries that used graphic health warnings on cigarette packaging exhibited a notable decrease in cigarette consumption compared to those that did not. This study adds strong evidence that graphic warning labels effectively reduce smoking rates.
Technological Solutions to Passive Smoking
There has now been an air-cleaning filter invented, which can stop exposure to secondhand smoke. According to researchers as reported by Press Trust of India, the filter can eliminate all harmful smoke substances in a room where ten people are smoking simultaneously in less than an hour. It is noted that the filter, equipped with a nano-catalyst based on manganese oxide, can effectively minimize and purify significant harmful substances from cigarette smoke when utilized.
In a smoking room of 30 square meters, with 10 people smoking simultaneously, the air-cleaning device utilizing the nano-catalyst can cleanse more than 80 percent of cigarette smoke within 30 minutes and fully eliminate it within one hour.
The nano-catalyst filter uses a technology that breaks down components of cigarette smoke using oxygen radicals. These radicals are produced by decomposing ozone in the air on the surface of the manganese-oxide-based nano-catalyst filter. An experiment using harmful substances was carried out, and it was shown that the catalyst decomposed over 98 percent of them.
"The new air cleaning equipment based on a simple catalyst successfully processes and removes gaseous materials in cigarette smoke, which are not easily removed with the existing air cleaning technologies," said Dr. Jongsoo Jurng of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KSIT) in Seoul, who led the study with Gwi-Nam.
"If the new equipment can be simplified and is economically feasible, it will be an important tool for keeping smoking rooms pleasant and clean. Also, from the convergence perspective, the new nanometre catalyst filter can be integrated with other air cleaning products such as air purifiers and air conditioners," Dr. Jurng told the news agency.
Conclusion
We must raise awareness and advocate for smoke-free environments, as we strive for a healthy environment and community. By fostering an environment that prioritizes the well-being of nonsmokers, especially children, we can collectively contribute to a healthier and better future for all.
Bibliography:
1.Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. “Passive Smoking.” Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, 20 Dec. 2023, www.health.gov.au/topics/smoking-vaping-and-tobacco/about-smoking/passive-smoking.
2.Secondhand Smoke (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth. kidshealth.org/en/parents/secondhand-smoke.html.
3.Bradfield, Philip, and Steve Potter. Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) Human Biology Student Book Ebook. Pearson Higher Ed, 2017.
4.Australia, Tobacco In. 4.19 Public Attitudes to Secondhand Smoke. www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-4-secondhand/4-19-public-attitudes-to-secondhand-smoke.
5.Ngô, Anh, et al. “Global Evidence on the Association Between Cigarette Graphic Warning Labels and Cigarette Smoking Prevalence and Consumption.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 15, no. 3, Feb. 2018, p. 421. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030421.
6.Report, Star Online. “A Solution to Get Rid of Passive Smoking.” The Daily Star, 12 July 2015, www.thedailystar.net/health/healthcare/news/seek-support-menopause-3501691.
7.“Secondhand Smoke and Cancer.” National Cancer Institute, 4 Dec. 2018, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/second-hand-smoke-fact-sheet.
8.Unsplash. “Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash.” Unsplash.com, 10 June 2018, unsplash.com/photos/orange-cigarette-butts-on-black-surface-7USMFYqt1NI.
Comments