Passive Smoking is Dangerous

Issued by: GCIS - Department of Health 

23 February 2000

The smoke released while a cigarette burns in the ashtray contains twice as much nicotine, 60 times more ammonia and 100 times more cancer-causing chemical than the smoke inhaled by the smoker. While smokers enjoy their habit of smoking, it has harmful effects on non-smokers. Breathing other people's smoke causes lung cancer in non-smokers. Studies have shown that persons whose partners smoke have a 20% to 30% greater risk of developing lung cancer than those whose partners do not smoke. Research has found that passive smoking causes heart disease in non-smokers.
One way of educating smokers about dangers of smoking, protecting non-smokers and the vulnerable such as children, pregnant women and their unborn babies is the government's regulation to print warnings of the dangers on every packet legally obtained in South Africa. The government intends to further protect the health of non-smokers by proposing regulations restricting smoking in public places and the workplace. To declare where smoking of tobacco products is permissible and the conditions subject to which such smoking may take place. Employers should allocate designated areas for employees to smoke and the smoking room should be ventilated. At restaurants, bars, shebeens and pubs a concrete wall or solid partition from a non-smoking area should divide smoking areas.
It has been found that most children whose parents are smokers suffer from asthma, emphysema, colds, wheezing and pneumonia from an early age and that could reduce their life span. High incidence of pneumonia and bronchitis during the first year of life in children whose parents smoke as well as an increased admission to hospital has been observed.
The effects of exposure to smoke may only manifest itself after a number of years causing chronic diseases like cancers and cardiovascular problems. People exposed to smoke may suffer from other illnesses like lung infections and pneumonia. Cancer deaths are expected to double in developing countries over the next 25 years, mainly because of smoking 70% of future deaths from smoking will be in developing countries.
Legislation is proposed to control the conditions whereby a retailer of a tobacco product may post signs at the point of sale that indicate the availability of tobacco products and their price.
Legislation will be introduced with regards to exemption of advertising with unintended consequences or the phasing out of existing sponsorship or contractual obligations. Tobacco advertising will only be allowed where tobacco is sold and sports sponsorships will be phased out gradually. This will bring to an end the misconception that tobacco is associated with glamour, success and prosperity. Selling of tobacco should not be allowed to children under the age of 18 years.

by: Department of Health
Private Bag X828
Pretoria
SOUTH AFRICA