Passive smoking

Passive smoking (secondhand smoke) - involuntary inhalation of tobacco smoke consisting of a mixture of smoke from a lit cigarette and smoke exhaled by a smoker. 1.2 million deaths a year are linked to exposure to tobacco smoke.

If you smoke during pregnancy or are exposed to passive smoking, your body suffers from a lack of oxygen - its role is taken over by toxic carbon monoxide.

Staying in a smoky room has the effect of smoking one cigarette per hour!

ALL HARMFUL SUBSTANCES to which you are exposed are transmitted through the placenta to the fetus!

Narrowing of the mother's blood vessels leads to a reduced supply of oxygen and nutrients to the baby. The changes caused by tobacco smoke can be seen on the placenta by ultrasound.

If you are a smoker and/or exposed to tobacco smoke often and for longer periods, the following adverse pregnancy outcomes are more likely:

  • miscarriage
  • slower fetal development and growth
  • lower birth weight
  • preterm delivery
  • these children's resilience is weakened for a longer period after birth
  • sudden infant death syndrome

Almost half of the world's children breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke!

During the earliest childhood, all processes in the body are more intensive, including the absorption of substances that reach tissues through blood - both useful and harmful ones. Therefore, children who are chronically exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to experience:

  • otitis media
  • respiratory tract infections
  • onset and exacerbation of asthma
  • allergic diseases
  • behavioral problems and learning difficulties
  • meningitis
  • sudden infant death syndrome

Some research also indicates a link between passive smoking and the occurrence of certain malignant diseases in children.

As many as 65,000 children die each year as a result of diseases associated with exposure to tobacco smoke.

There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke!

  • Don't let anyone (not even yourself) smoke in your home!
  • Make your car a smoke-free zone!
  • Make sure that playrooms, parks and other areas where your children spend time are no-smoking areas!
  • To go out with children, choose no-smoking restaurants and cafes. Even places where a non-smoking section is formally available do not provide full protection from tobacco smoke!