SECONDHAND SMOKE CAUSES SMOKING RELATED DISEASES

Secondhand smoke comes from the tip of a cigarette and the smoke that is breathed back out by the smoker. Wherever people smoke, there is secondhand smoke in the air although you might not notice it because it is almost invisible and odourless.

Even if you open a window, secondhand smoke will still be present in a room after two and a half hours! Even if you can't see or smell any smoke, it's probably still there. Smoking in a car is even worse because all of the smoke is concentrated into a small space.

SECONDHAND SMOKE CONTAINS 4,000 TOXIC CHEMICALS

People that breath secondhand smoke are at risk of the same diseases as smokers, including cancer and heart disease, because secondhand smoke contains 4,000 toxic chemicals. It is estimated that secondhand smoke causes thousands of deaths each year.

Children are particularly affected by secondhand smoke because their bodies are still developing, and around half of all British children are growing up in homes where at least one parent is a smoker.

SMOKEFREE PUBLIC PLACES

Virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in England are now smokefree. It is against the law to smoke in the indoor parts of public places like pubs, bars, nightclubs, cafés and restaurants, lunch rooms, membership clubs and shopping centres.

Indoor smoking rooms are no longer allowed in the workplace. Public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person are also smokefree.

To read more about the smokefree legislation visit www.smokefreeengland.co.uk.