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Annie Mills

ENG 1201

Professor Waggoner

March 21, 2021

What are the health risks of being exposed to smoking, resulting in second hand lung cancer?

Cigarettes became very popular during the time of the 1960’s. Not for the purpose of what was in

them but it became a part of the United States in fashion, social events and to take the edge off

after a long day at work. Within time, the social facade of cigarettes wore off when people knew

what it was doing to their bodies and harming the loved ones around them. However, at the time

there was no real evidence of “What are the health risks of being exposed to smoking, resulting

in second hand lung cancer?”.

In the beginning cigarettes were considered to be something that was casual and cool thus

making them popular. Everywhere you looked, whether you were at work or at a social

gathering, someone had a cigarette sticking out of the side of their mouth. “Screen beauties such

as Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich made smoking look sensual and sophisticated. Even a

future president - Ronald Reagan - was handed free packs of Chesterfield during his B-movie

days. By the late 1950s around half of the population of industrialised nations smoked,”

(Rodrigues). Another reason they were so popular was they were cheap. When you were feeling

stressed, nervous or lazy and needed a pickup, a .30 cent pack at basically any convenient store

or gas station was just around the corner. However, within a couple years information was being

released of just how bad they were for you. More studies of the side effects of the chemical
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inside cigarettes were researched, and by the early 2000’s people who smoked cigarettes were

looked down upon and were considered not classy.

You might be asking yourself what exactly is second hand smoke lung cancer? Well, it is the

combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke exhaled by the smoker.

In just one cigarette there are 7,000 chemicals and 70 of which can cause cancer. Cigarette

smoke contains a lot of diverse carcinogens. “Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand

smoke are inhaling many of the same cancer-causing substances and poisons as smokers,”

(CDC). The chemicals that are considered most potent in them are PAH, N-nitrosamines,

aromatic amines, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, aldehydes, and ethylene oxide.

There are 2 different forms of smoke that can come from burning tobacco. The first one is

Mainstream smoke which is the smoke being exhaled by the smoker. Then there is sidestream

smoke which is from a lighted end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar. This certain type of smoke has

high levels of nicotine and cancer causing carcinogens. When non-smokers are put in contact

with second smoke it is called involuntary smoking. These non-smokers are breathing in nicotine

and many other toxic chemicals, the same way as if they were the one smoking it. “The more

SHS you breathe, the higher the levels of these harmful chemicals in your body,” (ACS).

Over the years the amount of second hand smoke exposure has luckily gone down. This is

because 26 states have enacted statewide bans of smoking in enclosed workplaces, bars, and

restaurants. The states that have put this law in place are Delaware, New York, Massachusetts,

Rhode Island, Washington, New Jersey, Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio, District of Columbia, Arizona,
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New Mexico, Minnesota, Illinois, Maryland, Iowa, Oregon, Utah, Nebrask, Vermont, Maine,

Montana, Michigan, Kansas, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. Although these laws are helping to

slow the amount of exposure there is still a great risk. “The health effects of active and passive

smoking remains considerable and further prevalence reduction remains a challenge for health

policy,” (Becher, Belau, Winkler, Aigner).

There are many ways to prevent exposure to secondhand smoke but even while exercising these

habits there is no evidence it can 100% protect you. Often people thinking smoking out an open

window or door while using a fan can reduce secondhand smoke exposure, but this is not true.

The toxins can linger in hair, clothes, carpets, and furniture that are continually being exposed to

smoke up to almost 5 years. “These toxins are often called “thirdhand smoke.” (Cancer.Net

Editorial Board).

The first thing to do when wanting to protect those around you from secondhand smoke is

quitting all together but that is not as easy as it sounds. Do not smoke in your house or car and if

others do, politely ask them to step outside. Find smoke-free hotels, and rental cars when

traveling. Lastly, to protect your children, ask caregivers and relatives to not smoke around them.
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Work cited

When smoking was cool, cheap, legal and socially acceptable. (2009, March 31). Retrieved

March 21, 2021, from

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/01/tobacco-industry-marketing

Health effects of secondhand smoke. (2020, February 27). Retrieved March 21, 2021, from

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/health_effects/

index.htm

Health risks of secondhand smoke. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2021, from

https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/health-risks-of-tobacco/secondhan

d-smoke.html

Health risks of secondhand smoke. (2019, June 28). Retrieved March 21, 2021, from

https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/prevention-and-healthy-living/stopping-toba

cco-use-after-cancer-diagnosis/health-risks-secondhand-smoke

Becher, H., Belau, M., Winkler, V. and Aigner, A., 2017. Estimating lung cancer mortality

attributable to second hand smoke exposure in Germany. [online]

Link-springer-com.sinclair.ohionet.org. Available at:

<https://link-springer-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs00038-017-1022-1

.pdf> [Accessed 21 March 2021].

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