Putting Loved Ones At Risk Of Secondhand Smoke With Cigarettes

Once upon a time, a cigarette could be smoked just about anywhere. There were no rules or regulations regarding where someone could smoke a cigarette or whom they were around when smoking. Then there came the concerns with tobacco use and how it could affect one's health. Soon, interest groups and concerned citizens were calling for cigarettes to be banned.

Although cigarettes today are not banned or illegal in any form, they are no longer allowed to be used indoors at restaurants, theaters, or other venues. In fact, if a driver is smoking with a child in the car and was pulled over for a non-smoking citation, the officer can issue a ticket for tobacco usage in the car. Millions upon millions of people around the world are now aware of the many side effects associated with smoking tobacco cigarettes.

What could have been done by a teenager for rebellious reasons could now be a full-fledged addiction to the nicotine found in the cigarettes and could even become a lifelong habit that will only result in an illness that kills the person. By now, many are aware of the illnesses associated with smoking cigarettes. Heart and lung disease, cancer, and respiratory problems are just the beginning. Lethargy, a lack of strength, and shortness of breath when engaging in physical activity are all symptoms that a smoker can feel as well.

In addition, when someone is smoking a cigarette around anybody, that person is being exposed to secondhand smoke. In some cases, the secondhand smoke is actually worse than smoking the cigarette itself because the person who is smoking the cigarette is used to the experience, and his body has adapted to the nicotine, tobacco, and chemicals that are being inhaled. On the other hand, the person who normally does not smoke and is exposed to the toxins found in the cigarette smoke occasionally might have a worse reaction because their body is not used to it.

It is not uncommon to hear of a spouse of a smoker who contracted lung cancer as a result of being exposed to the smoke for prolonged periods of time. It is not uncommon to hear of a non-smoking black jack dealer working in a casino who feels the side effects of tobacco usage around him. The results are varied, and the side effects are serious. Protecting family, friends, and colleagues from secondhand smoke is as easy as smoking a cigarette on your own time when they are not around.