When exposed to secondhand smoke it can immediately affect the cardiovascular system and can cause coronary heart disease and stroke. Over 30,000 premature deaths are caused by secondhand smoke each year, due to heart disease. About 8,000 deaths are caused from stroke from exposure to secondhand smoke. Another health issue caused by secondhand smoke is a heart attack, breathing in secondhand smoke can affect your blood and blood vessels. Inhaling secondhand smoke interrupts the normal function of the blood, heart, and vascular system, increasing the risk of a heart attack. Even the slightest amount of exposure to secondhand smoke can do damage to the blood vessels and cause blood platelets to become stickier. All of these changes can lead to a heart attack. People already suffering from heart disease are at higher risk of the effects that come from secondhand smoke and should avoid any and all exposure if possible. Secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer, even in people who have never smoked. Nonsmokers increase their risk of lung cancer by 20-30% by exposing themselves to secondhand smoke. Over 7,300 nonsmokers die from lung cancer caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. When a nonsmoker breathes in secondhand smoke they are breathing in the same chemicals as a smoker. Even being exposed to secondhand smoke for the briefest amount of time can cause damage to cells that can cause cancer. When a person actively smokes, overtime they create a greater risk of developing lung cancer. Secondhand smoke is harmful to children, it can cause many health problems and diseases. Children who are older and have parents that smoke are said to become sick more often, their lungs grow less and they are more at risk of catching pneumonia or bronchitis. Children exposed to secondhand smoke may also begin wheezing or coughing, secondhand smoke can also …show more content…
Secondhand smoke increases the chances of an infant suffering from SIDS, it is one of the leading causes in normally healthy infants. Infants can also suffer from SIDS if their mother smokes while with child, or if they are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth. The chemicals in secondhand smoke can affect an infants brain by interfering with their regular breathing. Infants whose death is caused by SIDS are said to have higher concentrations of nicotine in their lungs than infants who die from other