Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 1(4), pp. 172 - 176
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2013.010403
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Indoor Air Pollution by Tobacco Smoke and Study on Tobacco Use among School and College Students in India

Jyotsna Lal ,Ph.D ^*
Department of Chemistry, Christ Church P.G College . Kanpur. U.P. 208001

ABSTRACT

Burning tobacco is the main source of indoor pollution in the developed world. Tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals including carcinogens, irritants and toxic gases. The health impact of breathing environmental tobacco smoke is well documented. Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemicals in the form of particles and gases. Many potentially toxic gases are present in higher concentrations in sidestream smoke than in mainstream smoke and nearly 85% of the smoke in a room results from sidestream smoke. The particulate phase includes tar (itself composed of many chemicals), nicotine, benzene and benzo(a)pyrene. The gas phase includes carbon monoxide, ammonia, dimethylnitrosamine, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and acrolein. Some of these have marked irritant properties and some 60 are known or suspected carcinogens (cancer causing substances). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the USA has classified environmental tobacco smoke as a class A (known human) carcinogen along with asbestos, arsenic, benzene and radon gas.[WHO 2004] Breathing other people's smoke is called passive, involuntary or secondhand smoking. The non-smoker breathes "sidestream" smoke from the burning tip of the cigarette and "mainstream" smoke that has been inhaled and then exhaled by the smoker. Secondhand smoke (SHS) is a major source of indoor air pollution. In the longer term, passive smokers suffer an increased risk of a range of smoking-related diseases.Non-smokers who are exposed to passive smoking in the home, have a 25 per cent increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer.This paper deals with study of various effects of passive smoking on human health as well as how adolescent school and college students are most influenced by tobacco use around them and get initiated easily in smoking .

KEYWORDS
Indoor Pollution, Adolescent, Secondhand Smoke, Lethal Doses, Carcinogen, Role Models

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Jyotsna Lal ,Ph.D , "Indoor Air Pollution by Tobacco Smoke and Study on Tobacco Use among School and College Students in India," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 172 - 176, 2013. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2013.010403.

(b). APA Format:
Jyotsna Lal ,Ph.D (2013). Indoor Air Pollution by Tobacco Smoke and Study on Tobacco Use among School and College Students in India. Universal Journal of Public Health, 1(4), 172 - 176. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2013.010403.