Asthma and
secondhand smoke
What is secondhand smoke?
The smoke you breathe when you are not the
smoker is called “secondhand smoke.” You
get this smoke “second hand” when you are
near someone who is smoking. It comes from
the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar.
Secondhand smoke also includes
the smoke that people blow
back out of their lungs when
they smoke.
There’s no safe amount
of secondhand smoke
Tobacco smoke contains chemicals that
are poisons. At least 43 of these poisons are
known to cause cancer.
It’s harmful to breathe it. When secondhand
smoke gets into the air, people nearby are
forced to breathe it. Breathing other people’s
smoke exposes you to serious health risks.
Harmful chemicals stay around as a health
hazard long after smokers have finished
smoking. The poisonous chemicals in
secondhand smoke settle into everything near
the smoker. They stick to the skin, hair, and
clothing of people who are nearby. They settle
onto carpets, furniture, and other surfaces.
Health risks include getting asthma.
A study by the National Cancer Institute showed
that up to 26,000 children get asthma each year
from being around secondhand smoke.
If you have asthma, secondhand
smoke is of special concern
Asthma tends to make your airways
swollen and irritated. (Your “airways” are
the parts of your body used for breathing.
They include your nose, throat, and the tubes
that carry air down into your lungs.)
Secondhand smoke makes your irritated
airways even more irritated. If you have
asthma, the health risks of secondhand smoke
are especially serious. The harmful chemicals
in the smoke and extra irritation to your
airways can lead to:
More breathing problems. Breathing
secondhand smoke can make you cough
and wheeze (wheezing is noisy breathing).
More asthma attacks. Breathing
secondhand smoke can lead to having
asthma attacks more often. It can also
make asthma attacks worse.
More problems keeping asthma under
control. When your airways get irritated
from breathing secondhand smoke, your
asthma medicine doesn’t work as well.
This makes it harder for you to keep your
asthma symptoms under control.
More illness. If you have asthma and you
breathe secondhand smoke, you may get
more colds. You also are more likely to get
illnesses such as bronchitis or pneumonia,
which can be very serious. Children who
breathe secondhand smoke are more likely
to get ear infections.
More on the next page
Asthma and secondhand smoke, continued
Don’t let anyone smoke
in your home
Keeping your home completely
smoke-free is very important for
good health. It’s especially important
if anyone in your home has asthma.
If people want to smoke, have them
do it outside. If people stay inside to
smoke, the harmful effects of their
secondhand smoke remain in your
home long after smoking has stopped.
Protect your children’s health.
Don’t let babysitters or anyone else
smoke around your children.
Don’t let anyone smoke
in your car
Smoke and the harmful chemicals it
contains tend to get very concentrated
inside the small space of a car or truck.
They stay there as a health hazard
long after smoking has stopped.
Do your best to stay away
from secondhand smoke
page 2
What can smokers do?
Get help and support to quit for good. If you
smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for
yourself and the people you love. It’s not easy to
quit, but getting help and support can make it easier:
Your doctor can give you medical help and
advice. Ask your family and friends for their
encouragement and support.
In Oregon, you can get free and friendly help
by calling the Oregon Tobacco Quit Line at
1-877-270-7867. The call is free and so are
the services you get. The Quit Line will help
you find a way to quit that’s just right for you.
Always go outdoors to smoke. Choose places
that are away from other people and away from
doors and windows.
Help protect other people from the chemicals
that stay on your clothes, skin, and hair after
you smoke. These chemicals leave a smoky smell.
Non-smokers notice it right away, even if you can’t
smell it yourself. These chemicals from secondhand smoke are a health hazard. Here are tips on
what to do:
Wash your hands and face after you
smoke. Be sure to do this before you pick
up a child or get near other people. Washing
removes the harmful chemicals from your skin.
Cover your clothes with a shirt or jacket
when you go out to smoke:
Ask smokers to please stop.
Most will stop if you ask.
Try to stay away from people who
are smoking and from places where
people smoke.
Try to eat at places that are smoke-free.
When you travel, ask for non-smoking
rooms and cars.
Let this extra layer of clothing soak up
the secondhand smoke so that it doesn’t
collect on your regular clothes.
At home, try keeping this smoky-smelling
shirt or jacket just outside the door. Put it
on right after you step outside to smoke
and then take it off just before you come
back inside. Keeping this shirt or jacket
outside the door helps keep the harmful
chemicals out of your home.
Copyright 2006. Find materials at www.healthoregon.org/asthma/resourcebank/
Commercial use is prohibited. Obtain permission from Oregon Asthma Program to change materials. (4-06)