Final answer:
Environmental tobacco smoke is detrimental to health, particularly increasing the risk of lung cancer and heart disease. Secondhand smoke contains carcinogens and toxins that contribute to various health issues, including immune system dysfunction and respiratory ailments. Children are especially susceptible to the negative effects.
Step-by-step explanation:
Researchers have found that environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), also known as secondhand smoke, negatively impacts health. The major health risk of smoking is cancer of the lungs, as tobacco smoke contains dozens of chemicals that are known carcinogens. Smoking is also the primary cause of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which results from chemicals like carbon monoxide and cyanide reducing the elasticity of alveoli so the lungs can't fully exhale air.
Furthermore, secondhand smoke has been found to harbor at least 250 compounds that are known to be toxic, carcinogenic, or both, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and N-nitrosamines. These toxins lead to immune system dysfunction, liver toxicity, cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, and neurological dysfunction. In non-smokers, exposure to secondhand smoke may increase the risk of lung cancer and heart disease by up to 30 percent, with children being particularly vulnerable to infections, hospitalizations, and conditions such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) when exposed to ETS.