“Bahut stressed out hoon yaar, kaam ka pressure”

“Koi na, chal sutta maarte hain”

Taking a ‘smoke break’ at work is something that most people look forward to, especially when work takes a heavy toll on the mind’s functioning. This “5 minute indulgence” is seen as a welcome change by those hapless folks who toil throughout the day and get no opportunity to take a break. For them, the sutta break  is something eagerly looked forward to. 

But, are you the non-smoker who has to accompany your friends to their smoke breaks?

Well, if you think you can successfully dodge the whiffs of smoke aimed at you and stay away from the hazards… you’re mistaken!

Even brief exposure to passive smoking can be fatal!

In fact, passive or second-hand smoking is far more dangerous than normal smoking. The duration of exposure to tobacco smoke determines how harmful it can be for the body.

Exposure to smoke for even 5 minutes can result in stiffening of the aorta. While exposure for 20-30 minutes can lead to excess blood clotting and can gradually lead to atherosclerosis, a medical condition that enhances the person’s vulnerability to heart attacks and strokes. Passively inhaling cigarette smoke for 2 hours or more can even trigger arrhythmias and heart attacks.

Tobacco smoke contains about 4000 toxins and chemicals, which when passively or actively inhaled, can be extremely harmful for the human body. 

You may ask why passive smoking is so dangerous (considering the fact that it’s not you who’s smoking)?

Well, there are assertions that have been made over time. 

1. Smoke that burns off the end of your favourite sutta (sidestream smoke) may be more toxic than the mainstream smoke. 

2.  Sidestream smoke becomes more toxic as it goes from being ‘fresh’ to ‘aged’. 

As a word of caution, there is no known “safe level of exposure” to passive smoking. The best thing is to avoid being around smokers.

H/T Source: Times of India