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Polluting the environment with secondhand smoke increases the risk of health problems for those around you. This is not just a myth, it is a proven fact. The statistics on the effects of secondhand smoke show the actual number of deaths and illnesses caused by this deadly habit.

Cigarettes, pipes and cigars give off dangerous fumes as soon as they are lit, and the damage is even more extensive when non-smokers are subjected to secondhand smoke in an enclosed space. Secondhand - or passive - smoke is known to contribute to the following diseases:

• Lung Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Respiratory Failure
• Asthma
• ... and many, many more.

A report by the Surgeon General (US Department of Health and Human Services) in 2006 titled "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke" was backed up by 30 independent medical experts. The research showed that while the levels of cotinine - a smoke related chemical - had fallen over the previous years, some 43% of non-smokers in the U.S. still showed signs of having traces of the chemical in their system.

Furthermore, the report also stated that secondhand smoke can actually cause more damage to non-smokers than the harmful effects of smoking a cigarette. This is because some of the chemicals produced from secondhand smoke are more concentrated than the smoke directly inhaled by a smoker. Of course, this puts people who smoke further at risk, from both sides of the coin.

According to research, nearly 3500 non-smokers in the United States die every year from lung cancer alone, directly attributable to secondhand smoke. Sometimes referred to as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), secondhand smoke also contributes to heart disease, breathing problems, pneumonia, and worse still, an increased risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

While the long-term effects of exposure to secondhand smoke are reported to cause severe medical problems and shorter life expectancy, breathing in secondhand smoke for short periods of time can also have undesirable consequences. The toxic chemicals from tobacco smoke can interfere with the heart's function and increase the risk of having a heart attack. Secondhand smoke, from a lit cigarette or from a smoker exhaling into the air, contains more than 50 cancer-related chemicals!

Many non-smokers are still being exposed to "involuntary" tobacco smoke, at home or at work, and in bars and restaurants. Although some states have already banned smoking in public areas, others are increasingly heading towards smoke-free, clean indoor air policies.