Second hand smoke as dangerous as smoking for non-smokers

Living with smokers is as bad as living in smoke-free homes in heavily polluted cities such as Beijing or London, researchers said. Moving to a smoke-free home could have major health benefits for non-smokers, they noted. 'Making your home smoke-free is the most effective way of dramatically reducing the amount of damaging fine particles you inhale,' said lead author Sean Semple from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. (Read: Natural remedies to quit smoking)

The researchers studied data from four linked studies carried out in Scotland between 2009 and 2013 that had real time measurements of fine particulate matter PM2.5 in homes, and combined them with data on typical breathing rates and time-activity patterns. In all four studies, homes that were likely to have a significant additional source of PM2.5 (such as coal or solid fuel fires) were excluded. The results showed that the average PM2.5 concentrations from the 93 smoking homes were about 10 times those found in the 17 non-smoking homes. (Read: Busted 6 myths people have about quitting smoking)

Non-smokers living with smokers were exposed to an annual average amounting to three times the PM2.5 exposure levels prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Many non-smokers living in smoking homes inhaled similar quantities of PM2.5 to non-smokers who lived and worked in smoke-free environments in cities such as Beijing or London, which have high levels of air pollution. 'These measurements show that second-hand tobacco smoke can produce very high levels of toxic particles in your home,' Semple concluded. The study was published online in the journal Tobacco Control. (Read: Different ways to quit smoking)

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Five Ds to start you on the path to quit smoking

I m more proud of quitting smoking than of anything else I ve done in my life, including winning an Oscar. said Christine Lahti, an actress. Indeed, quitting smoking is tough. But, once a person has successfully kicked the butt, he/she has reason enough to feel immense pride. Quitting smoking is probably on your list of New Year s resolutions, and in order to help you with it we give you the 5 Ds to quit smoking.

Delay

Once the cigarette craving hits, it s very difficult to think about something else. However, remembering to delay your cigarette for as long as possible can help. Setting time-based goals to delay your smoking will reduce the number of cigarettes you have a day. Gradually, you can increase the length of these time-based goals until you are ready to quit.

Distract

Eat some fruits, play badminton or go for a jog do whatever you must in order to get your mind off smoking. Distracting yourself can also help making the delay process less agonising and will stop negative thoughts which tend to rationalise your habit like Cigarette was my saviour during tough times, how can I leave it now? (Read: Natural remedies to quit smoking)

Drink water

Drinking water can momentarily bring down the cravings. Additionally, it ll help flush out some of the toxins that accumulate in your body after smoking. What more? It s also a brilliant for your overall health including your digestion and your beauty. Read about other two Ds to start you on the path to quit smoking

With inputs from IANS

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