The effects of second-hand smoke.

I. The effects of second-hand smoke on adults. Smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer. Harmful substances (carcinogens), found in tobacco, damage cells in the lungs. Over time, the damaged cells may become cancerous. The likelihood that a smoker will develop lung cancer is affected by the age at the person began smoking, how long the person has smoked, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and how deeply the smoker inhales. Stopping smoking greatly reduces a …

…asthma. Cigarette smoking is by far the most common cause of emphysema although the exposure to second hand smoke can also be a common cause as well. Recent studies indicate that approximately 40,000 non-smokers die each year from diseases directly related to the passive inhalation of secondhand smoke. References: He, J. (March 25, 1999) Passive smoking and the risk of coronary heart disease. The New England Journal of Medicine. Vol 340. Pgs 920-926. WASHINGTON POST (3/25/99) "Secondhand Smoke and Disease",