New Threat for Non-Smokers: Avoid Smoke at All Costs

Smoking can potentially be the rooting cause of so many diseases and affections that authorities are now turning their attention to the effects second-hand smoking has, to prevent non-smokers from picking up the habit. The latest study in this sense shows that people who don’t smoke should avoid those who do as much as possible because toxins from tobacco trace residue persist even long after the smoke cloud has dissipated, as Shape magazine informs.

According to the latest research, steering clear of bars and restaurants were smoking is allowed, and even not taking your coffee break to avoid your work mates who do enjoy a puff every now and then is not enough to protect your lungs and heart from the toxins in cigarette smoke. “Scientists from Harvard University found that the trace residue from tobacco contains 250 toxins, such as carbon monoxide, arsenic, and lead, that don’t disappear once the cloud dissipates.” Shape magazine says.

Apparently, the findings indicate, these particles can persist in the air around us and even on all objects for longer periods of time, and we might end up breathing them in without even being aware of it. “These particles can linger on surfaces and in carpets, curtains, and furniture for weeks and even months. They can become part of household dust, which people inhale.” study author Jonathan P. Winickoff, M.D., says for Shape. Therefore, simply avoiding smoking spaces is not enough, researchers warn.

What should be done in such a case, in order to best avoid contact with these particles, is to declare the home and office (if possible) a smoke-free area, with smoking visitors having to indulge in their habit outside. Moreover, even if restaurants have areas specifically designed for smokers and non-smokers, it’s best to go only to those that do not include the former category because these particles can travel from one place to another, so we risk exposing ourselves to them – again, without even knowing it and while believing we’re out of harm’s way.

Also noteworthy is that another recent research has shown that women are more likely to develop lung cancer earlier in life, even if they smoke comparatively less than men. This “discrimination” is believed to be attributed to the fact that women carry a gene that can encourage lung cancer growth, researchers said the other day. At the same time, they issued a warning that further studies were pending to establish how this could come to happen, and that consumers should not take it as a fact just yet.