It is widely known that close to 1.3 billion people smoke actively worldwide.

However, the number of those smoking passively is much higher due to the fact that the
smoke coming from a smoker's cigarette or the smoke exhaled by the smoker
himself/herself is inhaled by non-smokers.
Not many people are aware of this aspect and the complications it has. Some
specialists consider secondhand smoking even more dangerous than active smoking,
mainly because the sidestream smoke, that is smoke coming directly from the tobacco
burned during the smoking process, contains small particles that tend to infiltrate more
easily into the blood stream and cause certain ailments.
This secondhand smoke includes carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, cyanide,
nickel, all toxic elements which are dangerous for the human body.
These do not have immediate effects, but they tend to leave marks in time.
The effects are concerning because there is a wide range of diseases that passive smoking
causes. The carcinogens, the cancer causing elements from the sidestream smoke affect
the blood vessels, the lungs, the skin cells, causing several types of cancer.
Many institutions and most governments have imposed non-smoking policies
in their facilities and in public spaces like parks, schools or any other educational
institutions, mainly to reduce the effects secondhand smoking can have on non-smokers.
This is beneficial not only for adult persons, but also for children and
pregnant women who are prone to being more easily affected by these carcinogen
particles than adults. Thus, the occurrence of illnesses such as otitis and lower respiratory
tract as well as the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is reduced. If active smokers
can choose, if willing, when to put an end to their being exposed to cigarette smoke, nonactive smokers do not have this choice.