The Smoking Nuisance

Have you ever found yourself in a situation in which you're sitting next to someone and it's like stuffing your head in a chimney? For most people this is quite possibly the most irritating and disgusting set of circumstances to be subjected to. It's not as easy as it may seem for many to stop; however, why should you have to suffer through someone's inability to commit to a solution to their problem?

Second Hand Smoke

Most people would walk away, but there are those people out there who are more than willing to just wait it out without worrying about how the smoke they're inhaling is directly affecting them. We all know what second hand smoke is; we learned about it in elementary school. But sometimes the problem with knowing is that we take our knowledge for granted, assuming that just a bit of smoke never hurt anybody. How wrong we would be.

Effects of Second Hand Smoke

It's more than just a nuisance; it's an assassin, waiting to strike when you least expect it. When you think about it, there's so much to worry about when you're faced with a walking, talking smokestack. Some of the most frightening effects of second hand smoke actually occur without your knowledge and while you think there's nothing to worry about.

• depriving your lungs of oxygen

• inducing fits of apnoea (short or loss of breath)

• destructing the lining of the nasal wall

• asphyxiation

Without even knowing it, you're putting yourself at risk for some of the most deadly and life threatening problems.

Loss of Oxygen

If you think about being in a burning building, you'll see that all the aforementioned risks are very real indeed. If you're ever stuck in a burning building, you're always told to get as low to the floor as you possibly can. You know why? Because smoke rises; it also takes away all the oxygen in the air, replacing it with carbon monoxide. Because the oxygen is being stripped from the air, your lungs aren't getting the oxygen they need and you are, therefore, at risk for slow and painful suffocation. The same rule applies to the little bits of second hand smoke from which you assume you're so safe. It's all in the oxygen --zero oxygen means zero breathing. It's really quite simple.

What Does this Mean for the Smoker?

The truth is even if you're suffering from second hand smoke, the smoker more than likely couldn't care less about your health. What he should be concerned about is his own, but since that doesn't seem to factor into his decision to light up, you've got to put it to him plainly, "Either you go somewhere else with that cigarette, or put it out." It is best to take smoking cessation.