All teenagers know smoking can cause cancer. But did you know that inhaling secondhand smoke is just as harmful? Simply being near a smoker—or in a house or car where a smoker has been—can expose you to nicotine and other toxic chemicals.

Smoke: A Toxic Brew

Tobacco smoke contains more than 60 chemical compounds—including nasty stuff like arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide—that are known or suspected to cause cancer. And, according to the American Cancer Society, you don’t have to be a teenage smoker yourself to get sick from all that gunk. Secondhand smoke causes a huge number of deaths and illnesses. Here are some of the shocking facts:

• Every year, about 46,000 nonsmokers who live with smokers die of heart disease and 3,400 die of lung cancer. 
• Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke are at higher risk of having an underweight baby.
• Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at a greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), premature death, acute respiratory infections, ear infections, and severe asthma.
• Secondhand smoke may also increase the risk of breast cancer. Chemicals from cigarette smoke can reach breast tissue and has been found in breast milk.

There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. Even occasional or short-term exposure can be harmful.

Keeping Away from Smoke

So what are you supposed to do if your parents smoke? What if your best friend smokes? There are three possibilities:

• Encourage smokers to quit smoking. This is a tough one. Quitting smoking takes a lot of willpower. But there are many programs that can help smokers kick the habit. You can try asking a parent or a friend to quit because you want them to stay healthy. Or you can tell them about the dangers of secondhand smoke and tell them that you want to stay healthy, too.

• Ask smokers to smoke outside and not in the car. Smoke can linger indoors for hours even after cigarettes have been put out; it also sticks to clothing and people. Even if a smoker exhales through a car window, a nonsmoker will still be exposed to secondhand smoke.
• Walk away from other people’s smoke. You have a choice.  Laws prohibiting smoking in public spaces are helping to protect the rights of nonsmokers, but you can also protect yourself simply by walking away from people when they’re smoking. Remember, you should always take a stand for your own health. 

Last Reviewed: November 2010