Lung cancer can occur even without smoking; Know here why secondhand smoking is dangerous

To raise awareness about lung health, World Lung Cancer Day is celebrated every year on September 25th.

New Delhi: The lungs are one of our vital organs, performing many important functions within the body. They help deliver oxygen to the body and expel carbon dioxide, which are essential for life. Therefore, lung care is crucial for staying healthy.

To raise awareness about lung health, World Lung Cancer Day is celebrated every year on September 25th. There are many things around us that can cause lung disease. Smoking is generally considered harmful to the lungs, but secondhand smoke has also become a serious concern recently.

To learn more about this, we spoke with Dr. Inder Mohan Chugh, Senior Director of Pulmonology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh. Let's learn how secondhand smoking is causing lung disease:

What is secondhand smoking?
Doctors say that secondhand smoke is often underestimated as a risk factor for lung health. Secondhand smoke is the smoke that comes from burning cigarettes or is exhaled by smokers.

For non-smokers, being around smokers can be as harmful as directly inhaling it, as the smoke around us contains thousands of chemicals that are known to be toxic and carcinogenic.

How does secondhand smoke harm?

Breathing in secondhand smoke also damages airways and reduces lung function, increasing the risk of asthma, COPD, and other respiratory infections. Long-term exposure to this smoke can cause lung cancer even in people who have never smoked a cigarette.

These people are at greater risk
Children are most vulnerable to this smoke because their lungs are developing and are more sensitive to toxins. Therefore, even short-term exposure to this type of smoke can cause coughing, wheezing, and long-term breathing difficulties. Furthermore, for children raised in secondhand smoke, this risk persists into adulthood, increasing their risk of developing chronic lung disease later in life.

Dangers During Pregnancy
Secondhand smoking also affects pregnant women and fetuses, leading to low birth weight, premature birth, lung problems, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Therefore, pregnant women should avoid both secondhand and thirdhand smoke.

Keep This in Mind
It's also important to understand that there is no "safe" level of secondhand smoke. Even a few minutes in a smoke-filled room can cause lung irritation or trigger an asthma attack. For those with lung conditions like COPD, the effects can be immediate and severe.