In the United States, an update from the Center For Disease Control and Prevention for February 2015 says that one out of four (58 million) non-smokers are exposed to second-hand smoke despite the fall in the rate of second-hand smoke from 1999 to 2012.
Subsequently, a total of 2 in every 5 children are exposed to secondhand smoke while more than 1 in 3 non-smokers who live in rental houses are exposed to SHS.
CDC added that no amount of second-hand smoke is safe for humans. SHS are inhaled by nonsmokers when the smoke is breathed out into the air. SHS is so dangerous that it kills more than 400 infants and 41,000 adult non-smokers every year.
Exposure remains high in children, blacks and those who are living in poor communities and rental houses. According to Dr. Tom Frieden, CDC Director, "Secondhand smoke can kill. Too many Americans, and especially too many American children, are still exposed to it. That 40 percent of children -- including seven in 10 black children -- are still exposed shows how much more we have to do to protect everyone from this preventable health hazard."
They added that despite measures to reduce second-hand smoke rates were successful in some places, still, 2 out of 5 children from ages 3 to 11 are exposed. Second-hand smoke can be measured by gauging the cotinine levels in the blood. This is a chemical found in tobacco that can be detected in the blood.
SHS contains at least 7,000 chemicals wherein 70 of them are culprits that cause cancer. In children, SHS can cause serious health problems such as asthma attacks, respiratory problems, ear infections and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In worst cases, it can lead to cardiovascular diseases and even stroke.
"The potential of exposure in subsidized housing is especially concerning because many of the residents - including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities - are particularly sensitive to the effects of secondhand smoke," states Brian King, acting deputy director for research translation in CDC's Office on Smoking and Health.
The successful decline in SHS rates can be attributed to the programs implemented to reduce smoking in homes and in public places. Also, in 26 states in Colombia and in 700 cities, they have passed comprehensive smoke-free laws to prohibit smoking in public places.
