According to the EPA, secondhand smoke is the third-leading cause of preventable death in the USA, killing 43,000 nonsmokers each year. Other organizations advocating non-smoker's rights place the number at as many as 10,000 more. An estimated 3,000 people die from lung cancer annually a result of secondhand smoke. Heart disease caused by passive smoke inhalation claims an additional 40,000 or more victims. In addition, secondhand smoke exposure is also linked to nasal sinus cancer and a variety of other unhealthy conditions.
Children are especially susceptible.
700,000-1.6 million middle ear infections, the most common cause of childhood operations and hearing loss. A study in this month's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine further confirms that exposure to secondhand smoke puts children 16 and under at risk for asthma, wheezing, and decreased lung function. Younger children appeared to suffer most in terms of impaired lung function and missed school days, but all children regularly exposed to passive smoke exhibited health consequences. The investigation found quantifiable levels of cotinine, a metabolite created when the body processes nicotine, in the children's blood, even though none of them had ever smoked. The truth is there is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure.