A Killer

• The U.S. government estimates secondhand smoke kills thousands of non-smokers every year, including at least 35,000 with heart disease and 3,000 with lung disease.
  
  

Smoking Laws

• To combat the negative effects of secondhand smoke, more than 20 states have passed legislation prohibiting smoking in all public places, including workplaces, pubs and restaurants.
  
  

Effects on Children

• According to the American Cancer Society, hundreds of thousands of children younger than 18 months old suffer lung infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis as a results of exposure to secondhand smoke. As many as 15,000 of these children have to be hospitalized for treatment. Children who suffer from asthma and other respiratory diseases also see their condition worsened by secondhand smoke.
  
  

Dangerous Chemicals

• Studies have shown that secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including 50 known carcinogens such as vinyl chloride, benzene and arsenic.
  
  

Lingering Effect

• Secondhand smoke remains in the air for hours after cigarettes and other sources of tobacco smoke are extinguished.