An important note to smokers

Return to Index Step 1: What is an Allergy?Step 2: The Role of the Immune System Step 3: What Substances Cause Allergies?Step 4: Allergy-Related Conditions Step 5: Should You See an Allergist?Step 6: Allergy Testing and Diagnosis Step 7: Introduction to Allergy Treatment Step 8: Avoid Allergy Triggers Step 9: Types of Allergy Medication Step 10: Over-the-Counter vs Prescription Drugs Step 11: Immunotherapy Step 12: You and Your Doctor Are a Team Key Points Glossary

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If you choose to smoke, here are some things you can do to help protect the people close to you:

Don't smoke around children. Their lungs are very susceptible to smoke. If you are expecting a child, quit smoking.
Take an active role in the development of your company's smoking policy. Encourage the offering of smoking cessation programs for those who want them.
Keep your home smoke free. Nonsmokers can get lung cancer from exposure to your smoke. Because smoke lingers in the air, people may be exposed even if they are not present while you smoke. If you must smoke inside, limit smoking to a room where you can open windows for cross-ventilation. Be sure the room in which you smoke has a working smoke detector to lessen the risk of fire.
Test your home for radon. Radon contamination in combination with smoking is a much greater health risk than either one individually.
Don't smoke in an automobile with the windows closed if passengers are present. The high concentration of smoke in a small, closed compartment substantially increases the exposure of other passengers.

More than two million people quit smoking every year, most of them on their own, without the aid of a program or medication. If you want to quit smoking, assistance is available. Smoking cessation programs can help. Your employer may offer programs, or ask your doctor for advice.

Created by the Environmental Protection Agency. Image copyright A.D.A.M., Inc.

Review Date: 6/29/2011
Reviewed By: Paula J. Busse, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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