Second-hand Smoke

Second-hand smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, 50 of which are known to cause cancer, and many of which have no known safe level of exposure. Some of the chemicals found in second-hand smoke are already prohibited from ‘uncontrolled release’ in Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. Two-thirds of smoke from a cigarette is not inhaled by the smoker, but rather enters the environment in the form of second-hand smoke (Canadian Lung Association, 2006). Cigarettes burn an average of 12 minutes, but smokers only spend 30 seconds of that time inhaling. So the rest of the time, second-hand smoke spews into the air. Second-hand smoke burns at a lower temperature than inhaled smoke and contains twice the amount of tar, nicotine and five times the amount of carbon monoxide. This dramatically reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. Second-hand smoke can be:

  • Mainstream smoke, the smoke that is exhaled by the smoker;
  • Sidestream smoke, the smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar.

Approximately 78% of Albertans are exposed to second-hand smoke (also known as passive smoke and environmental tobacco smoke) in public & workplace areas like restaurants, bars, bingo halls, casinos and bowling alleys (AADAC, Tobacco Basics Handbook, 2004). Also, over 60,000 Albertans work in the trades. Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke among trade workers is quite common and much higher than in the general population.

The majority of working Albertans are not protected by smoke-free workplace laws and thus, are subjected to second-hand smoke while they are at work. A recent province-wide Ipsos-Reid survey of Albertans commissioned by CSFA revealed that four out of five Albertans currently support a smoking ban for all workplaces.

Click here for information on diseases and conditions caused by second-hand smoke.

Click here for information on second-hand smoke and children.

For more information on second-hand smoke click on these links: