There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 430,700 American lives each year.
Secondhand smoke is also a confirmed cause of nasal sinus cancer in nonsmokers.
Along with cancers, secondhand smoke causes between 35,000 and 62,000 coronary heart disease deaths each year. Atherosclerosis, which is the hardening of the arteries, is a leading cause of death in the United States. Nonsmokers that regularly are exposed to secondhand smoke increase their chances of atherosclerosis by 20 percent. Eye, nose, and throat irritation and headaches are also more pronounced in adults exposed to secondhand smoke. More than 15 million American children and adolescents are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes every year.