Smoking has long been known to cause premature death and different ill
nesses. Each year 3 million people die from smoking related diseases w
orldwide. In recent years there has been concern that non-smokers may
also be at risk for some of these adverse effects on health as a resul
t of their exposure to tobacco smoke in various environments polluted
by smokers. In 1986 the National Research Council and the Surgeon Gene
ral of the U.S. Public Health Service independently assessed the healt
h effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Both repor
ts conclude that ETS can cause lung cancer in adult non-smokers and th
at children of parents who smoke have an increased frequency of respir
atory symptoms and acute lower respiratory tract infections. The condi
tion of asthmatic children improves significantly when they are remove
d from ETS. The most severe form of passive smoking is induced by smok
ing during pregnancy. The effects concern birth weight, complications
of pregnancy and impaired development in childhood.