Children Secondhand smoke is a dangerous combination of the smoke from a burning cigarette, pipe or cigar, and the smoke exhaled by a smoker. This lethal mixture contains more than 4,000 substances, including 50 that are known to cause cancer. Each year, an estimated 3,000 American nonsmokers die from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke irritates the eyes, nose and throat.
It also aggravates the lungs, causing coughing and excess phlegm. While secondhand smoke is harmful for nonsmoking, healthy adults, it is more so for babies and children whose lungs are still developing, Charles Wolford, Public Health Director, of the Broome County Health Department said. They are more likely to suffer from middle ear infections, sore throats and colds. Secondhand smoke can cause youngsters with asthma or allergies to have longer and more severe attacks. This percentage has remained consistent over a number of years and does not seem to be decreasing.