After decades of hiding the negative effects that tobacco smoke has on both smokers and those who are around them, Big Tobacco is finally owning up to the dangers. This move is good news for people who suffer from asthma and other respiratory conditions since second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke can cause worsened health conditions, asthma attacks, and cancer. A little more than 10 years ago, tobacco companies in the U.S. were ordered to advertise about the dangerous effects of tobacco products. The advertisements finally began in Nov. 2017.
Facts about tobacco smoke exposure
The tobacco companies were found by a court to have misled the public about the dangers of smoking and of tobacco products in general. The advertisements are appearing on multiple media outlets, including television stations and newspapers. Per the court order, the ads must include specific facts about sAfter decades of hiding the negative effects that tobacco smoke has on both smokers and those who are around them, Big Tobacco is finally owning up to the dangers. This move is good news for people who suffer from asthma and other respiratory conditions since second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke can cause worsened health conditions, asthma attacks, and cancer. A little more than 10 years ago, tobacco companies in the U.S. were ordered to advertise about the dangerous effects of tobacco products. The advertisements finally began in Nov. 2017.
Facts about tobacco smoke exposure
The tobacco companies were found by a court to have misled the public about the dangers of smoking and of tobacco products in general. The advertisements are appearing on multiple media outlets, including television stations and newspapers. Per the court order, the ads must include specific facts about smoking and tobacco, including the following:
- An average of 1,200 Americans are killed by smoking every day.
- Smoking causes cancers of the pancreas, bladder, kidney, stomach, lung, larynx, esophagus, and mouth as well as emphysema, acute myeloid leukemia, and heart disease.
- More people are killed each year from smoking than from alcohol, car crashes, drugs, suicide, AIDs, and murder combined.
- Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased risk of SIDS, ear problems, respiratory infections, reduced lung function, and severe asthma.
- Smoking causes low birth weight, reduced fertility, and cervical cancer.
If you have asthma, an attack can be triggered by tobacco smoke. The smoke can cause inflammation in your airways and can affect lung development. People who are exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased frequency of asthma attacks and respiratory infections.
Educating the public about the dangers of tobacco can help to deter people from starting to smoke. It can also lead to people who already are addicted to tobacco to try to quit so that they do not endanger their loved ones or themselves. If the prevalence of tobacco use was lessened, the rates of asthma would also decrease. This could mean that children might have improved health outcomes and miss fewer days of school. The advertisements could potentially mean that some children might never develop asthma.
Get help from Accent Allergy
If you have asthma or allergies and are exposed to secondhand smoke, it is important for you to ask people not to smoke around you. If you smoke, you should take steps to quit and should never smoke in enclosed spaces such as your home or car where others, including children, might be present. To learn more about the impacts of smoking on allergies and asthma, call Accent Allergy in Gainesville, Florida today at 352.271.5789.