Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is a combination of smoke given off by a cigarette as it burns and the smoke exhaled by the smoker into the air.

In 2006, the US Surgeon General released a report “The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke”.  This report contains the most up-to-date evidence on the dangers and health risks associated with secondhand smoke exposure.

To understand secondhand smoke and the harm it causes, it is important to know what’s in both the cigarette and cigarette smoke.

Ventilation does not protect you from secondhand smoke exposure. Learn more from this factsheet about ventilation.