Passive Smoking

ZELENOGRAD  LYCEUM 1557

STUDENT’S   CONFERENCE

Passive Smoking

Students:  Bantsevich Maria

Socolova Olga, 9th form

Teacher: Nikonorova E.I.

ZELENOGRAD, 2014

Contents

Introduction

I would like to tell you some words about the reason why we have chosen this topic. A smoking man has a choice to smoke or not. A man who is nearby doesn’t have it. He depends on a smoking man.  The harm of a secondhand smoke has been underestimated, but nowadays more and more people understand that it damages their health greatly. That’s why nowadays this topic is discussed around the world.

Smokers and nonsmokers alike inhale second hand smoke. Inhaling tobacco smoke is an unavoidable consequence of being in a smoke-filled environment. It is well known that half of the people who smoke regularly today - about 650 million people - will eventually be killed by tobacco.

Today the negative effect of smoking is known to everybody. No less disturbing the fact that hundreds thousands of people who have never smoked, die annually from diseases caused by a second-hand smoke. Harm of smoking for people who are in the same room with a smoker, arises from the fact that he is forced to absorb the substances secreted by the so-called "side stream" smoke. Main stream smoke enters the smoker's lungs, and that part of the smoke, which is released into the air, inhaled by anyone who is nearby.  

According to the research, one hour a person inhales a dose of smoke, which is an equivalent to smoking half a cigarette. Experts estimate that during passive smoking for 8 hours organism causes the same damage as the active smoking of one cigarette every 5 hours.

The study of harm of employees working in a smoky room revealed that nonsmokers experience difficulty in working close to the smokers, 34% involved in passive smoking stated that they were forced to leave their jobs in connection with consequences of smoking, while 60% felt the smoking harm from smoking for the workflow.

That is why we support banning smoking in public places.

Passive smoking and its effects on children

Our research

Having thought about this subject, we held a survey at our school. We have interviewed 84 peers.

The research we have found that most of them suffer from passive smoking.

They have:      

Components of the respirable dose

There are some negative components of tobacco smoke such as carbon monoxide, nicotine, aldehydes, acrolein, etc. The influence of these substances in the blood, urine and nervous system of a passive smoker is great!

Let us compare the components of the respirable dose of an active smoker (1 cigarette) and a passive smoker (1 hr).

This table shows us that the difference is too small not to pay attention to it!

Long-term effects

Exposure to second hand smoking has immediate health effects.  

1. It can reduce lung function.
2. Exacerbate respiratory problems.
3. Trigger asthma attacks.
4. Reduce coronary blood flow.
5. Irritate eyes.
6. Cause headaches, coughs, sort throats, dizziness and nausea.
7. During pregnancy: low birth weight, premature birth.

Harm of smoking parents for children

Parental smoking is the biggest contributor to children initiating smoking, it really is a matter of 'do as I do' not 'do as I say' when it comes to smoking.

Young children and toddlers are especially sensitive to the effects of secondhand smoking, due to the fact that their bodies are still growing and developing and they breathe faster then adults and therefore may inhale more smoke.

Different researches indicate the following effects of passive smoking on children:

•        Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke at home can easily develop bronchitis, pneumonia. They will have less developed lungs that have a reduced ability to function well.

•        Temporary affects of passive smoking on children are shortness of breath, coughing, sore throats, pressure or tightness in their chest, wheezing etc.

•        They are more likely to suffer ear infections, fluid in the ears, chronic middle ear disease or “glue ear”, which could lead to some loss of hearing.

•        They can suffer from possible cardiovascular disorders and various types of cancers in childhood as well as in adulthood.

•        They are more likely to die of cot death. If a mother smokes, the risk of the baby suffering a cot death is twice as high.

•        They are at a higher risk of developing meningitis.

•        They are more likely to be hospitalized before they reach their 2nd birthday

More recent studies have shown that exposure to passive smoking affects a child's behavior and their learning abilities. Children from smoking homes scored lower in maths, reading, logic and reasoning tests and showed a more difficult and conflictive attitude towards their teachers and peers.

How to protect yourself and your children

 from secondhand smoke

If you are a smoker and unable to give up smoking at the moment and you have children or a non-smoking partner, the following steps will protect them from the harmful effects of passive smoking in your home:

• If you smoke - quit. It's never too late to quit. By quitting smoking, you will make yourself and your family members healthier.
• Smoke outside at all times. Even if you limit smoking to one room, the smoke will spread tot eh rest of the house and the poisonous tiny particles and gases can easily be inhaled.
• Never smoke around pregnant women, infants, children and teenagers. Educate everyone, especially spouses and children on the dangers of breathing in secondhand smoke
• Keep family members away from places people usually smoke. This could include restaurants, relatives’ homes, cars, etc. The chemicals in tobacco smoke get into curtains, carpets, toys, furniture, walls, car seats, clothing, skin, and hair. They stick around long after the cigarettes have been extinguished. It's not enough that the smoker doesn't light up when your child is there. If your child's in a room, house or car where people usually smoke, she will be exposed to the harmful chemicals in smoke. This is known as “third-hand” smoke.
• Remember that opening a window, running a fan or air purifier, or smoking near the chimney will not get rid of second-hand smoke.

When you are out and about:

•        Use the non-smoking areas in bars and restaurants or frequent places where there is a total ban on smoking.

•        Sit away from smoking areas in airports, train stations etc.

•        Try to spend as much time as possible outdoors, if the weather permits.

•        Take children to places where smoking is not allowed and where parents won't be tempted to smoke.

Conclusion

In conclusion we would like to tell you a little personal story from the mom of two kids with asthma who was doing her best to protect her kids from second-hands smoke:

“It can be tough to take a stand on second-hand smoke, especially in families. I know. As the mother of two kids with asthma, I’ve had to tell their Grandpa, a smoker, that we can’t sleep over at his house because of the smoke.

We had to stop staying at Grandpa’s because our kids’ asthma symptoms got much worse after being there: they’d cough and wheeze more than usual while we were there, and their breathing problems would continue for up to two weeks afterwards. It got to the point where I was dreading visits to Grandpa’s, knowing that Patrick and Danielle would be paying the price.

After one Christmas visit that ended with an asthma attack in one child and an ear infection in the other, I knew I had to do something. My husband urged me not to make a scene- “Don’t say anything or you’ll offend my Dad”- but I just couldn’t keep bringing the kids to a place I knew was making them sick. I finally worked up the courage to talk to my father-in-law. I said that we’d love to keep visiting but would have to visit in restaurants or somewhere outside the house, and that we’d be sleeping in a motel instead of staying in his guest room. My father-in-law got really angry, and so did other family members. “But I smoke near the door when you’re visiting!”, my father-in-law said. I told him the kids still are affected, because the smoke has been absorbed in the furniture and rugs and things.

Then he offered to smoke outside the whole time we were visiting. I didn’t think it would make a difference- after all, he’s smoked a pack a day in that house for 15 years- the smoke in everything. My husband insisted we try one visit at Grandpa’s, to see if his smoking outside would make a difference. Unfortunately it didn’t- Patrick and Danielle still got bad asthma symptoms. That convinced my husband that keeping the kids away from the house is the right thing to do.

Now when we visit Grandpa, we meet him at a smoke-free restaurant or a park, and we stay at a motel. We also try to have more family events at our (smoke-free) house. To be honest, many family members are still mad at us for “making a fuss” about the smoky house, and there have been some heated arguments on the topic. My husband and I are resolved: even though we hate the tension this decision has created, we hate seeing our kids sick even worse.

As I see it, the real way to solve this dilemma is for Grandpa to quit smoking! But I don’t think that’s going to happen. So I’m willing to be the bad guy in my family’s eyes, for the sake of my kids.

Isabelle, mother of 2, Orleans, Ontario

The best way out is next time, you lit a cigarette; just think what damage it can cause to another person who has never even smoked a cigarette!

   Numerous research leaves no doubt about the harm of the active and passive smoking! And our call to action:

                                 Just stop doing it!