No Smoking Day 2024: Understanding The Health Risks Of Secondhand Smoke

Smoking is detrimental to your health and overall well-being. The harmful effects of smoking are not limited to your lungs. It can affect your entire body in more ways than one. No Smoking Day is an initiative that tries to help individuals quit smoking. This year No Smoking Day falls on March 13 to create awareness about the destructive impacts of smoking and also motivate individuals to quit smoking.

History

No Smoking Day was first observed on Ash Wednesday in 1984. Every year the day is observed on the second Wednesday of March. Since 1984 this day gained momentum and is celebrated each year in the UK.

The dangers of secondhand smoke

According to the World Health Organisation, tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.

Secondhand smoke also known as passive smoking is what you inhale when you are near to sources of tobacco smoke. It is the smoke that you don't directly mean to breathe in but you inhale it due to exposure to smoke that comes from burning tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars or pipes.

How harmful is secondhand smoke

According to Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, secondhand smoke can cause coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer in adults who do not smoke.

WHO also highlights that secondhand smoke is inhaled by everyone, exposing both smokers and non-smokers to its harmful effects. It causes lung cancer in non-smokers and increases the risk of coronary heart disease.

• Those exposed to secondhand smoke may have a risk of developing cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, heart attack or stroke.
• Secondhand smoke can also trigger lung problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.
• It can also affect reproductive health in individuals.
• In children, secondhand smoke can lead to frequent coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath or other breathing problems.

Now you know the potential dangers of secondhand smoke, so, it is of utmost importance to quit smoking for your well-being as well as for people around you.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.