Exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is more than a nuisance. It is a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and non-smoking adults. THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF EXPOSURE TO SECOND-HAND SMOKE. Even brief exposure can be harmful to people’s health.

Second-hand smoke comes from the burning end of a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe. Two-thirds of the smoke from a burning cigarette is not inhaled by the smoker, and enters the surrounding area.

The way smoke moves throughout a building is unpredictable and cannot be controlled. The gases in cigarette smoke expand to fill spaces around pipes and electrical conduits and between walls and floors or ceilings.

Research conducted in Minnesota apartment buildings found that while generally smoke travels into the units above where it was generated, it can also move into adjacent units on the same floor or even into units below.

Second-hand smoke:

• is poisonous, and exposes residents and families to over 4,000 chemicals
• contains more than 50 chemicals that are known to cause cancer
• contains higher concentrations of many of the toxins found in cigarette smoke
• is a class ‘A’ cancer causing substance and ranked with the most deadly substances, including benzene, chromium, cadmium, and arsenic (US Environmental Protection Agency)

Second-hand smoke is a major problem for many BC residents living in apartments and condominiums, especially those who suffer from chronic health conditions such as heart disease, asthma, allergies, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses. For many forced to breathe their neighbour's smoke, the only remedy is to move. But moving is not always an option for the elderly, or for people with limited incomes or disabilities.

Why is Second-Hand Smoke So Dangerous? *

• Each year in Canada, breathing second-hand smoke causes more than 1000 deaths in non-smokers from lung cancer and heart disease, and keeps thousands more from leading normal, healthy lives.
• Breathing second-hand smoke for even a short time can have immediate adverse effects:
  • Exposure for as little as 8 to 20 minutes causes physical reactions linked to heart and stroke disease.
  • Persons with asthma or other respiratory conditions are at especially high risk for being affected by SHS, and should take special precautions to avoid it.
  • Brief exposure to SHS can trigger an asthma attack in children with asthma.
• Prolonged and repeated exposure to second-hand smoke can cause lung cancer, heart disease, and acute respiratory effects.
• Children exposed to second-hand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma.
• A smoke-free environment is the only way to fully protect non-smokers from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

* Sources : BC Tobacco Facts, Health Canada and the US Surgeon General Report

Ventilation Myths *

Air filters, purifiers and Ventilation systems do not remove all the chemicals in second-hand smoke and should not be considered viable alternatives to smoking bans in multi-unit dwellings. Scientific evidence proves ventilation and air-cleaning systems do not provide effective protection against the health hazards of second-hand smoke. While ventilation and related methods can clear some of the smoke from the air, there is no system that can remove enough toxins to effectively protect the public from second-hand smoke.

Some Facts to consider:

• Second-hand smoke (SHS) can drift from one residence to another through cracks in walls, doorways, plumbing and electrical systems, heating and air conditioning ducts and outdoor patio and balconies. Once the smoke enters your home, many of the dangerous chemicals remain in the air and settle on surfaces in the room, like walls, drapes, carpets, furniture and clothes.
• Current heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems do not eliminate exposure to SHS. Rather, the operation of these systems can distribute SHS throughout a building.
• The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the pre-eminent body responsible for setting ventilation standards for buildings, has concluded that ventilation technology cannot remove the health risks from exposure to SHS. ASHRAE states, "Currently, the only way to effectively eliminate health risks associated with indoor exposure is to ban smoking activity."
  
• James Repace, an internationally recognized second-hand smoke physicist, reports that tornado-like levels of ventilation would be necessary to reach an acceptable risk level of exposure to second-hand smoke.

* Sources: the US Surgeon General Report and James Repace, Biophysicist and The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers