What we know

Secondhand smoke kills.

"An hour a day in a room with a smoker is nearly 100 times more likely to cause lung cancer in a non-smoker than 20 years spent in a building containing asbestos."
Professor Sir Richard Doll, Regius Professor of Medicine

Breathing in other people's cigarette smoke is called passive or secondhand smoking and can lead to lung cancer and heart attacks in non-smokers. It is also a leading cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It has been estimated that around 11,000 non-smokers die every year as a result of being exposed to secondhand smoke.

What's the evidence for this:

• The International Agency on Cancer examined all published studies about secondhand smoke and found that exposure is a cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
• The UK's Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health did a similar study and found that that secondhand smoke "represents a substantial public health hazard" and that nobody should be exposed to it. If you would like to read their report you can download it here.
• The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies secondhand smoke as a Class A carcinogen along with asbestos, arsenic, benzene and radon gas.

Secondhand smoke has also been linked to:

• asthma attacks in adults and children
• glue ear in children
• respiratory problems in adults
• breast cancer
• emphysema in adults who grew up in a home where their parents smoked

If you would like to know more about Secondhand Smoke, click here.