Cigarette smoke contains thousands of dangerous chemicals that are unhealthy for both smokers and nonsmokers. Secondhand smoke refers to the smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke exhaled2 by smokers. More than 126 million Americans are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke at home, at work, and in enclosed public spaces.
The Deadly Effects
Secondhand smoke can cause heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults. Breathing secondhand smoke for even a short time increases risk for those diseases.
Children and infants are especially vulnerable3 to the poisons in secondhand smoke. Almost 3 million children in the United States under the age of six breathe secondhand smoke at home at least four days per week.
Secondhand smoke is a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory4 problems, ear infections5, and asthma6 attacks in infants and children.
Secondhand smoke in the home environment can slow the lung growth of exposed children. Older children whose parents smoke get bronchitis7 and pneumonia8 more often than the children of nonsmokers.
Wheezing9 and coughing are also more common in children who breathe secondhand smoke.
Protecting Yourself and Others
The only way to fully protect yourself and loved ones from the dangerous chemicals in secondhand smoke is through 100 percent smoke-free environments. Opening a window; sitting in a separate area; or using ventilation10, air conditioning, or a fan cannot eliminate secondhand smoke exposure. If you are a smoker, the single best way to protect your family is to quit smoking.
香烟的烟雾中含有成千上万的危险化学物质，它们对吸烟者和非吸烟者的健康都有危害。间接烟雾是指从燃烧的香烟头冒出的烟雾和从吸烟者嘴里呼出的烟雾。超过1.26亿的美国人经常在家里、工作地点和密闭的公共场所接触间接烟雾。
致命的后果
间接烟雾可以导致不吸烟的成年人患心脏病和肺癌。即便短时间呼吸间接烟雾也会增加患此类疾病的风险。
儿童和婴儿特别容易遭受间接烟雾中有毒物质的危害。在美国，有将近300万6岁以下的儿童在家里每周至少四天呼吸了间接烟雾。
间接烟雾是公认的导致婴儿猝死综合症、儿童呼吸疾病、耳炎和哮喘发作的原因。
家庭环境中的间接烟雾能延缓受害儿童的肺部发育。父母吸烟，年龄稍大的孩子患支气管炎和肺炎的比率大于非吸烟者的孩子。
呼吸间接烟雾的孩子当中气喘和咳嗽现象也更为普遍。
保护自己和他人
为了使自己和家人彻底远离危险化学物质的危害，惟一的途径就是创造100％的无烟环境。打开一扇窗户；坐到一个单独的区域；或使用通风设备、空调或电扇都不能消除间接烟雾的影响。如果你是吸烟者，保护你的家人的惟一最佳办法就是戒烟。
1. secondhand adj. 间接的，二手的
2. exhale v. 呼出
3. vulnerable adj. 易受伤害的
4. respiratory adj. 呼吸的
5. infection n. 感染
6. asthma n. 哮喘
7. bronchitis n. 支气管炎
8. pneumonia n. 肺炎
9. wheeze v. 气喘
10. ventilation n. 通风