Fiery warning on secondhand smoke

MANILA, Philippines - As a non-smoker, you’ve probably been exposed to other’s people’s cigarette smoke during social occasions. Or maybe you normally go outside with colleagues during their so-called “ciggie breaks.” Perhaps you think you’re out of harm’s way since you’re not puffing that cigarette yourself. But here’s a fact: Secondhand smoke can be just as (if not more) hazardous to your health.

Leading health institution and the hospital with a heart Makati Medical Center exposes the truth on secondhand smoke and its effects on overall health and well-being.

According to Dr. Eriberto Esguerra of the MakatiMed’s Department of Pulmonology, secondhand smoke (also called “passive smoking”) is comprised of over 4,000 chemical compounds, 200 of which are identified as poisonous and more than 60 as carcinogens. “Some of the chemicals in secondhand smoke include hydrogen cyanide, which is used in chemical weapons; benzene, formaldehyde; and carbon monoxide. We’re talking about a potentially fatal mix of harmful substances here,” he stresses.

Dr. Esguerra cannot be any more correct. Statistics show that there is really no amount of secondhand smoke that can be considered a safe dosage — that means the more smoke you inhale, the higher your health risks become. Passive smoking increases non-smokers’ risk of developing lung cancer and heart disease by up to 30 percent. It also increases their chances of developing other cancers (nasal sinus cavity cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and bladder cancer, among others) and lung diseases (such as tuberculosis and pneumonia).

Secondhand smoke is also responsible for causing asthma, middle ear infections, coughing and wheezing, dental cavities, and eye and nose irritation in children. It also increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) for children whose mothers smoked while they were pregnant.

With one in 10 tobacco-related deaths being caused by secondhand smoke (resulting in 600,000 premature deaths per year all over the world), it is painfully clear that even non-smokers aren’t exempt from the dangerous effects of smoking.

In the Philippines, millions of individuals are equally exposed to secondhand smoke. After a 2009 survey on passive smoking was conducted among Metro Manila residents, Akbayan party-list representative and anti-tobacco advocate Risa Hontiveros-Baraquiel noted that it is the local culture of “hiya” and “pakikisama” that forces non-smokers to continually becoming reluctant participants of passive smoking.

It is therefore important that Filipinos learn to do away with the sense of embarrassment and hesitation when it comes to voicing their aversion to secondhand smoke. “It’s ironic how it’s the non-smokers who are the ones who seem ashamed to ask smokers to stop smoking in front of them, when in fact it is their health that is being put at risk,” Dr. Esguerra says.

In the aforementioned survey, only a mere eight percent of the 8.7 million Metro Manila respondents admitted to having the courage to stand up for themselves and let their objections/frustrations be known to smokers.

Dr. Esguerra emphasizes the importance of confronting smokers when necessary. “It doesn’t matter if these smokers are your family members or friends. Be upfront and honest, and let them know how you feel about them smoking when you are with them. If you say it nicely enough, chances are that they will understand. Finally, take responsibility for yourself — if you know the people with you are going to smoke, politely excuse yourself and move to another area. Don’t endanger your health for the sake of pakikisama — it’s just not worth it,” he advises.

For more information, visit Makati Medical at 2 Amorsolo St., Makati City or call the MakatiMed 24/7 on-call hotline at 8888-999. Visit www.makatimed.net.ph.