| If you are a smoker and find it difficult to quit, even | | | | in the United States are banning any type of public |
| knowing what it will do to your health, you might want | | | | smoking in restaurants and bars, there are some |
| to consider the effects of smoking to those of your | | | | establishments and areas that have not banned this. |
| family and loved ones. Many people have different | | | | As you continue to smoke, not only are you |
| opinions when it comes to second hand smoke and its | | | | endangering your own health, but of those around you |
| effects on others. However, one thing that is | | | | as well. You are increasing their risks of heart disease |
| bothersome is that the ones suffering the most from | | | | and lung cancer. Furthermore, in children you are |
| smoke exposure are children. Children have no way of | | | | increasing their risks of health issues because their |
| avoiding the damages caused by smoke, because | | | | lungs are not yet fully developed. At the same time, |
| they have to remain within the home. As a parent, it is | | | | children have no choice but to be in the environment |
| your responsibility to see to it that the children have | | | | you create for them. Infants and children of smokers |
| good health. If you do not stop smoking, you are not | | | | often have increased risks of asthma, pneumonia, |
| doing this. | | | | bronchitis, and sudden infant death syndrome. |
| ETS (Environmental Tobacco Smoke) is also referred | | | | While you may know it, more than three thousand |
| to as second hand smoke. This results in two specific | | | | people in the United States die thanks to lung cancer |
| forms. The first is the smoke that is coming from the lit | | | | from exhaust smoke. This is true even if the person |
| side of the smoking apparatus, either a cigarette or | | | | has never smoked in their life. More than 35,000 |
| some other form of tobacco, also referred to as side | | | | Americans die yearly of second hand smoke causing |
| stream smoke. The second is the smoke that is | | | | coronary heart disease. |
| exhaled by you, the smoker, also referred to as | | | | Asthma in children, thanks to smoke exposure is |
| mainstream smoke. What many people do not know | | | | diagnosed to between 8,000 and 26,000 children |
| is that Environmental Tobacco Smoke contains more | | | | yearly. 15,000 children are hospitalized each year |
| than four hundred different chemicals. Of these four | | | | because of bronchitis caused by exhaust smoke, and |
| hundred chemicals, more than fifty contain agents that | | | | some 150,000 to 300,000 children develop bronchitis. |
| cause cancer, also known as carcinogens. | | | | These are alarming figures and many people simply do |
| What is bad is that Environmental Tobacco Smoke is | | | | not realize the affects of second hand smoke on |
| present everywhere you go. For example, if you are in | | | | others around them. They feel they are only hurting |
| a smoker's home, in a workplace where smoking is | | | | themselves, when in fact; they are hurting every |
| allowed, or other public places such as bowling alleys, | | | | person they meet. |
| casinos, bars, and restaurants. However, many states | | | | |