Is Secondhand Smoke As Dangerous as Everyone Thinks?

Defining secondhand smoke

Secondhand smoke is when someone inhales the smoke from a lit cigarette or the air exhaled by a smoker. If it takes place in an enclosed space, there is no neutral distance between the smoker and other people nearby. Residual fumes from cigarettes can remain in a room for hours. Therefore, only a room that is 100 % smoke-free can be considered safe. If contact with the smoker happens in the open air, it is better to walk away until the smoker is finished smoking. If this is not possible, try to position yourself so that the wind carries the smoke away from you.

Statistics

For every 8 smokers who die from diseases related to smoking, there is 1 death due to secondhand smoke. Non-smokers who live with smokers increase their risk of cardiovascular disease by...