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General Information About Secondhand Smoke										Related Pages
										Secondhand smoke (SHS) is smoke from burning tobacco products, like cigarettes, cigars, hookahs, or pipes.1,2,3
Secondhand smoke exposure occurs when people breathe in smoke breathed out by people who smoke or from burning tobacco products.
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke; even brief exposure can cause serious health problems and be deadly.1,4,5
Completely eliminating smoking is the only way to fully protect people who do not smoke from secondhand smoke exposure**.**4Why is secondhand smoke harmful?Commercial tobacco smoke contains hundreds of harmful chemicals. There are more than 7,000 chemicals in commercial tobacco* smoke, including hundreds of chemicals that are toxic and about 70 that can cause cancer.1,5,6 Here are just a few of the chemicals and toxins in commercial tobacco smoke:Chemicals and toxins in commercial tobacco smoke
**Benzene**
Found in gasoline
**Benzene**
Found in gasoline
**Toluene**
Used in paint thinners
**Toluene**
Used in paint thinners
**Butane**
Used in lighter fluid
**Butane**
Used in lighter fluid
**Cadmium**
Used in making batteries
**Cadmium**
Used in making batteries
**Ammonia**
Used in household cleaner
**Ammonia**
Used in household cleaner
**Hydrogen Cyanide**
Used in chemical weapons
**Hydrogen Cyanide**
Used in chemical weaponsThere is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke; even brief exposure can cause serious health problems.1,4,5 Secondhand smoke can cause coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer in adults who do not smoke.1,4 Because their bodies are still growing, infants and young children are especially impacted by health problems caused by secondhand smoke. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis, middle ear disease, more frequent and severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.1,4Where are most people exposed to secondhand smoke?Most people are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes or their places of work. People may also be exposed to secondhand smoke in public places like bars, restaurants, and casinos.1,4,5 People are more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke if they live in multi-unit housing—like apartment buildings with many homes next to one another in the same place.7,8 Even when no one in the home smokes, secondhand smoke can drift from other units including via hallways, stairwells, and ventilation systems.8What is the best way to protect people from secondhand smoke exposure?Eliminating smoking is the only way to fully protect people from secondhand smoke exposure. The harm caused by secondhand smoke is preventable. Comprehensive smokefree laws and policies that prohibit smoking in all areas of indoor spaces are the only way to fully protect people who do not smoke from secondhand smoke exposure.4 Comprehensive smokefree laws and policies can also help people quit smoking and can help keep young people from starting to smoke.4,9,10 These laws and policies must be applied equitably to ensure all people have a fair and just opportunity to breathe smokefree air and be as healthy as possible.
Most comprehensive smokefree laws and policies also prohibit the use of e-cigarettes. The e-cigarette aerosol that people who use e-cigarettes breathe from the device and exhale can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances.11 Including e-cigarettes in smokefree or tobacco-free policies can protect people who do not use e-cigarettes from exposure to e-cigarette emissions and can help change social norms about tobacco use. More information about e-cigarettes can be found on the Electronic Cigarettes page.**Commercial tobacco is defined as the harmful products that are made and sold by tobacco companies. It does not include the sacred or traditional tobacco used by some American Indian communities.*
ReferencesUS Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2014.
Institute of Medicine Committee on Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Acute Coronary Events. Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the Evidence . Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2010.
National Toxicology Program. Report on Carcinogens, Fourteenth Edition. Research Triangle Park (NC): US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; 2016.
US Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2006.
US Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2010.
National Cancer Institute. Harms of Cigarette Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitting. [accessed 2022 July 13].
Walton K, Gentzke AS, Murphy-Hoefer R, Kenemer B, Neff LJ. Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Homes and Vehicles Among US Youths, United States, 2011-2019. Preventing Chronic Disease 2020(17).
Wilson KM, Klein JD, Blumkin AK, Gottlieb M, Winickoff JP. Tobacco Smoke Exposure in Children Who Live in Multiunit Housing. Pediatrics 2011:127(1):85-92.
Hopkins DP, Razi S, Leeks KD, Priva Kalra G, Chattopadhyay SK, Soler RE, et al. Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Smoke-Free Policies to Reduce Tobacco Use: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2010;38(2 Suppl):S275–89.
Siegel M, Albers AB, Cheng DM, Biener L, Rigotti NA. Local Restaurant Smoking Regulations and the Adolescent Smoking Initiation Process: Results of a Multilevel Contextual Analysis Among Massachusetts Youth. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 2008;162(5):477–83.
US Department of Health and Human Services. E-cigarette use among youth and young adults: a report of the Surgeon General [PDF–8.47 MB]. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2016.
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  September 14, 2022						Source: 	Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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