Final answer:
Exposure to secondhand smoke involves serious health risks comparable to active smoking, including lung cancer and heart disease. It comprises over 7,000 harmful substances, with at least 250 recognized as carcinogenic. The only effective protection is to maintain smoke-free environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Exposure to secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), carries significant health risks that are similar to those associated with active smoking. Inhaling secondhand smoke can lead to lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic respiratory conditions such as COPD. This smoke consists of a complex mixture of over 7,000 compounds, many of which are toxic and at least 250 that have been identified as carcinogenic. Studies have shown there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, with non-smokers experiencing up to a 30 percent increase in lung cancer risk. Additional risks of secondhand smoke, which are especially pronounced in children, include higher incidences of asthma, ear infections, respiratory infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The CDC identifies tobacco smoke as the leading cause of preventable death, highlighting the vital need for environments free from tobacco smoke to protect the health of non-smokers.
Opening windows or segregating smokers does not completely eliminate the dangers of secondhand smoke; therefore, the only effective measure is to ensure smoke-free indoor environments. Hence, it is critical to avoid indoor smoking to protect individuals from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.