Secondhand smoke (SHS) is smoke from burning tobacco products, like cigarettes, cigars, hookahs, or pipes, that people breathe in when they are near someone who is smoking or from burning tobacco products. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and even brief exposure can cause serious health problems and be deadly. Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, many of which can cause cancer or heart disease. When non-smokers breathe in secondhand smoke, it can cause serious health problems, and it is almost as dangerous as if they were smokers themselves.

Some of the health risks of secondhand smoke include:

• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Lung cancer
• Breathing problems, such as asthma and bronchitis
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Ear infections
• Lung infections, like pneumonia
• Coughing, sore throats, sniffling, and sneezing

Completely eliminating smoking is the only way to fully protect people who do not smoke from secondhand smoke exposure. Comprehensive smoke-free laws and policies fully protect people from secondhand smoke exposure. Everyone deserves to breathe smoke-free air where they live, work, and play. If someone in the family or a close friend smokes tobacco products, suggest they quit smoking to reduce the risk of secondhand smoke exposure.