A recent study, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests exposure to secondhand smoke may increase a person's risk of heart disease by as much as 60%. The study, which followed over 2,000 nonsmokers for 20 years, suggests secondhand smoke may be responsible for up to 80,000 heart attacks each year.

The effects of secondhand smoke have long been controversial, but the consensus has become that long-term exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to the same ill effects as experienced by smokers. However, this new study indicates long-term exposure may not be the only problem.

The most surprising finding was that nonsmokers don't have to be exposed to very much secondhand smoke in order to start experiencing the harmful effects. Researchers said almost any exposure causes substantial increase in risk. In fact, being around someone who smokes a few cigarettes a day is almost like being a light smoker. The risk of heart attack is nearly the same as that of someone who smokes one to nine cigarettes a day.

According to a fact sheet by the CDC, secondhand smoke is a mixture of more than 4,000 different chemicals, over 50 of which are know carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents. Secondhand smoke is also associated with increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease. The CDC estimates 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths occur every year in the U.S. among nonsmokers as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke. Additionally, about 60% of U.S. residents show biological evidence of secondhand smoke exposure.

The U.S. Surgeon General says exposure to secondhand smoke is a common, but preventable, public health hazard. A report from the CDC, also published in the British Medical Journal, showed heart attack rates dropped 40% in Helena, Montana during the six months a smoke-free workplace law was in effect in that city. Instances of heart attacks returned to their former levels after the law was rescinded.

In a third report, the British Medical Journal also reported that bartenders in San Francisco had dramatic improvements in their respiratory health after California enacted a ban on indoor smoking. Fifty-nine percent of those bartenders reporting problems before the ban were symptom-free less than two months later.

The evidence seems clear: smoking isn't only harmful to the person holding the cigarette. Hopefully these studies will provide the needed push for those who have trouble quitting for their own sake – before they take their families down with them.

If you want to quit smoking, for yourself and those you love, but can't do it on your own, call Positive Changes. Our friendly, professional staff is waiting to help you live the life you want and deserve. Don't risk your health any longer. Call 1-877-POSITIVE today.