Second-hand smoke contains…
Side stream smoke - smoke from the tip of the cigarette.
Mainstream smoke - smoke that is breathed back out by the smoker.
Second-hand smoke hangs around for ages and most of it is invisible and odourless. Even if you open up the windows it will still be in a room after two and a half hours! Even if you can't see or smell any smoke, it's probably still there. Smoking in a car is even worse because all of the smoke is concentrated into a small space.
Non-smokers who breathe in second-hand smoke are at risk of the same diseases as smokers, including cancer and heart disease!
Secondhand smoke contains 4,000 toxic chemicals and it is estimated that it causes thousands of deaths each year. Children are particularly affected by secondhand smoke because their bodies are still developing. But around half of all British children are growing up in homes where at least one parent is a smoker.
Find out more about how secondhand smoke affects others.
From 1st of July 2007, virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in England are smokefree. This means that it is against the law to smoke in the indoor parts of places such as pubs, bars, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants, lunch rooms, membership clubs and shopping centres. At work, smoking inside is a thing of the past, and indoor smoking rooms are no longer allowed. Public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person are also smokefree.
To read more about the smokefree legislation visit Smoke Free England
