Information on Tobacco and Health Effects

Second-hand smoke

In 2006 the Surgeon General’s Report finally put to rest any doubts on the effects of second-hand smoke: 

1. Second-hand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and in adults who to not smoke.

2. Children exposed to second-hand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.

3. Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

4. The scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

To learn more, please visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/report/ or download the report here(20Mb;pdf)           

 More than cigarettes…

Smokeless tobacco is also becoming more popular and is not a safer habit. Chewing or dipping causes oral cancers which leads to death in 30-50% of cases within five years of diagnosis. People may also undergo disfiguring surgeries to remove unhealthy tissues. For more information, visit the following websites: