The Dangers of Passive Smoking: Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones

2023-05-30 22:35:56

Before passive smoking, now passive smokers. This is what is called those who, despite not consuming cigarettes or vaping, can be affected. “The smoke that the passive smoker inhales is that of the secondary current, which contains up to three times more nicotine and tar than the mainstream smoker inhales and about five times more carbon monoxide”says the University of Navarra.

The Spanish institution adds that a passive smoker exposed to tobacco smoke for an hour “inhales an amount equivalent to two or three cigarettes.” In addition, from the German Hospital, Dr. Elisa Behrmann points out that no matter how passive it may seem to be around smoke, this action is related to “serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease, lung cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome.. In addition, immediate effects include irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Also headache, nausea and dizziness.

In figures, the Spanish institution emphasizes that a passive smoker has a 20 to 30% increased risk of suffering from coronary disease and lung cancer. “Children of smoking parents have a 20% higher risk of suffering from asthma, respiratory infections (30%), otitis (50%), frequent colds, persistent cough, etc.”, they add.

They also say that in women, tobacco reduces fertility, generates a greater risk of having premature and spontaneous abortions, causes bleeding during pregnancy and complications in childbirth. When a woman smokes during pregnancy, the fetus should be considered passive smoker.

Going back to direct smoke, its impact on health is one of the reasons why smoke-free zones have been created and in closed environments. “When smoking in a closed environment, the substances in environmental tobacco smoke are suspended and remain for many hours and even days or weeks. Ventilating by opening doors and windows is not enough”, details Dr. Behrmann.

He adds that the power of a hurricane would be needed to remove these particles, which is why the air extractors do not work either and although the smell goes away when ventilated, “the substances remain in suspension, attached to curtains, furniture, carpets, clothing and The hair”.

“To quit smoking it is not necessary to start vaping”: experts on World Tobacco Day

The action and effect of smoking could be the name of a novel that talks about the influence of on television since the last century, the fight as a counterweight from science and organizations, and the interesting migration and myth of the use of vapers. Perhaps the phenomenon surrounding the simple and apparently harmless action of inhaling and exhaling the smoke produced by the combustion of tobacco and nicotine substances is one of the most complex human study cases.

But beyond that, regarding the month of tobacco control and World No Tobacco Day that is commemorated on May 31, different experts draw attention to the need to protect health from consumption or exposure to conventional and electronic cigarette smoke.

“Vapors are a source of exposure to substances with carcinogenic potential, promote cell damage, affect the normal immune response and, in high doses, the normal development of fetuses,” reveals a study carried out by the Semillero de Investigación Epigenética y Cáncer Pulmonar of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

Reaffirming what other investigations and scholars on the subject have been warning about: it is false that vapers are harmless. “There really is no condition that makes us think that it is less harmful or not harmful, on the contrary, they have damage in the medium, short and long term, so should be avoided if possible”, points out the doctor specializing in internal medicine and pneumology, José Luis Blanco.

Is the body not made to withstand high temperatures when smoking?

Specifically, they maintain that this condition occurs because the human respiratory tract “is not designed to consume any substance at a higher temperature than what is physiologically achieved by the entire part of the nose, larynx, horns, and upper part.” .

And technically this mechanism serves to improve the extraction of gases and oxygen from the body, without affecting respiratory physiology, “Therefore, any increase in temperature generates physical damage, with changes in cells that can cause acute and chronic damage,” hold.

Also according to Martha Herrera, president of the Inspirat Foundation, it is necessary to work on awareness programs towards tobacco control and any other element that impacts respiratory hygienefrom an early age, since consumption begins at approximately 10 years of age and this implies focusing work on family and school nuclei, as well as on the promotion and prevention of these habits that negatively impact health.

“To quit smoking it is not necessary to start vaping”

Medical experts make the following recommendations to quit smoking, clarifying that there are no drugs that work to break the habit, nor transition elements:

1. Accept that it is an involuntary condition and that it should be treated as if it were a disease.
2. Make a diagnosis through a physical examination focused on the factors that trigger or perpetuate the smoking condition.
3. Include support therapy such as: psychosocial, psychological, psychiatric, toxicological and in some cases pharmacological, depending on the severity. It is also important to start practicing relaxation exercises and doing physical activity.
4. Depending on the doctor’s prescription, some antidepressant medications may work to quit smoking.
5. Consult a doctor to determine which replacement therapy may be the most appropriate in each case.

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