This is because it hasn't been filtered through the cigarette or by the smoker's lungs. When nonsmokers breathe in smoke from a cigarette, cigar, and pipe, they are said to be involuntary or passive smoking. When smoke enters the air from the lighting of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe it contains four thousand chemicals. Formaldehyde and benzene are two of the two hundred poisons found in tobacco smoke. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that binds to the hemoglobin in the blood, preventing adequate oxygen flow to the body.
Secondhand smoke causes many harmful side effects.
It almost immediately irritates the lungs and nasal passages. This leads to coughing, sneezing, and chest pain. In some cases, the nonsmoker can be allergic to the smoke. Signs of an allergic reaction can include coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, and headaches. There are also a number of long-term effects of secondhand smoke.