Secondhand Smoke
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)

ETS, also called secondhand smoke, is the mix of smoke given off by both a cigarette and the smoke exhaled by a smoker. This mixture contains more than 4,000 substances, more than 40 of which are known to cause cancer in humans or animals and many of which are strong irritants. Exposure to ETS is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking.

Young children who breathe ETS are more susceptible to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). They also contract bronchitis and pneumonia, experience more ear infections, suffer more asthma attacks, and wheeze and cough. Approximately 3 million children (11%) aged 6 and under are exposed to ETS on a regular basis in their homes. (NOTE: “regular” is defined as 4 or more days/week.)

Asthma is an epidemic in the United States with a disproportionate impact on children. Approximately 17% of all households with children have had at least one child diagnosed with asthma. Children from low-income, low-education households are more likely to suffer from asthma, and children with asthma are just as likely to be exposed to ETS in their homes as children in general. EPA's goal is to increase the number of people with asthma who have reduced their exposure to environmental triggers of asthma from an estimated 3 million in 2003 to 6.5 million in 2012.

US EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) has an active multi-pronged national-level program to combat asthma which focuses on preventing asthma symptoms by reducing children’s exposure to indoor environmental triggers, in particular Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).