These Are The Worst Jobs For Second Hand Smoke

Where Will You Breathe At Lunch Today


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Australia has some of the toughest laws against smoking in the world, yet too many of us are still being exposed to second hand smoke every day.

A new Quit survey of workers in Victoria found 1 in every 3 people are passive smoking while inside or outside during work hours. It's likely that trend is seen across the country.

There are also two standout occupations experiencing the brunt of second hand smoke, those working as tradies or hairdressers. 45% of people in these professions say they're getting exposed to someone else's tobacco exhaust on at least one occasion every week.

So what's the problem? There are way less people in Australia who are actual smokers, compared to the number of people being exposed. A survey from last year found just 17.4% of Aussies still light up. That means the majority of people at risk of smoking's nasty health side effects, are not even smokers.

Experts from the Centers for Disease Control in the United States say there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. It still contains more than 7000 chemicals, hundreds of those are toxic and 70 can cause cancer. Exposure to kids can cause severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome. Exposure to adules can cause heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.

So next time you're stepping out of the office for some fresh air at lunch, you might want to think twice about doing it with a smoker.

James Lake

6 December 2017

Article by:

James Lake




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