Smoking tobacco is an addiction which harms the health of an individual in multiple ways. It is not only the smoker who suffers but also people sitting with him who can develop health hazards.

Tobacco smoke contains several chemicals of which nicotine is the main ingredient and addicting substance. It is harmful to the health of a person in multiple ways.

Along with a smoker, others sitting opposite him or in contact with him are also exposed to its health hazards.  The more the duration of passive smoking, more is the risk of health hazards.

The ill effects of passive smoking (a person not smoking but being exposed to tobacco smoked by another person) occur immediately. One can get irritation of eyes, headache, sore throat, nausea and dizziness after being with a person who is smoking.  After being in contact with a person who is smoking, one can even feel the bad odor of tobacco and smoke on his body and clothes.

A passive smoker can also develop chronic cough after long exposure to cigarette smoke.

Asthma is aggravated in non smokers due to passive exposure to cigarette smoke.  The functional capacity and efficiency of lungs is reduced in these people, which has been proved scientifically.

Even short term exposure to cigarette smoke has measurable harmful effects on heart function due to passive smoking.  It can increase heart rate. Passive smokers are at risk of high blood pressure and heart diseases as much as active smokers.  The risk is said to be 25% more as compared to people who are not exposed to cigarette smoke.  This is because tobacco use is an independent risk factor for heart diseases.

Passive smokers are at a greater risk of developing chronic bronchitis and lung cancer. Thus for no fault of their own, they develop chronic damage to lungs. This is manifested by chronic cough and shortness of breath, thus affecting one’s working ability.

Children are worst affected by passive smoking.  Studies have shown children to develop bronchial asthma when one or both parents smoke regularly.

Babies can die in cot when exposed to cigarette smoke. Children who are passive smokers have a high risk of developing middle ear infections. This can result in deafness later in life. They become more prone to develop recurrent respiratory tract infections. These children also have a high prevalence of pneumonia and chronic bronchitis. 

 If a woman smokes during pregnancy, the pregnancy can be aborted or the unborn child can die in the womb.  If he survives, he can develop growth retardation and physical abnormalities.

Apart from these ill effects, smoking by adults in presence of children has a negative behavioral influence. Children observing their elders smoke, are bound to pick up smoking, when they grow up. Thus they will be further exposed to the health hazards of smoking.

Once a woman becomes pregnant she should quit smoking altogether for the welfare of the child. To avoid the ill effects of smoking on the child, parents need to give up smoking. They should not allow anyone who is smoking, come close to their child.

Adults who are non smokers should be aware of the health hazards of passive smoking. If somebody is smoking in their presence, they have right to tell the person not to smoke or to sit far from them. People who smoke in public places should be asked not to do so. 

Considering these hazards of passive smoking, Government of Rwanda has rightly banned smoking in public places.

People addicted to smoking should be motivated to give up smoking by patient counseling, medicinal and psychological support. If they realize that by smoking they are exposing themselves as well as their dear ones to health hazards, they will surely quit this addiction.

Pande is a specialist Internal medicine-Ruhengeri Hospital