消灭“空气杀手”，远离二手烟

译者 威廉小王子

You don't smoke because you understand the dangers — but what about secondhand smoke? Secondhand smoke causes or contributes to various health problems, from cardiovascular disease to cancer. Understand what's in secondhand smoke, and consider ways to protect yourself and those you love from secondhand smoke.

或许你很清楚吸烟的危害，从不吸烟，但是你能躲避二手烟的危害吗？二手烟对健康会造成很大的伤害，会导致各种疾病，不仅包括心血管疾病，更可能导致癌症。因此，我们需要了解到底何为二手烟，如何保护自己和所爱之人免受二手烟的危害。

 

What's in secondhand smoke?

二手烟的构成

Secondhand smoke — also known as environmental tobacco smoke — includes the smoke that a smoker exhales (mainstream smoke) and the smoke that comes directly from the burning tobacco product (sidestream smoke). Secondhand smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals, including:

二手烟，也就是空气中含有烟草成分的烟雾，包括吸烟者吐出的主流烟和源自烟草产品的侧流烟。二手烟中包含了上千种有毒化学成分，主要成分如下：

Benzene

苯

Carbon monoxide

一氧化碳

Chromium

铬

Cyanide

氰化物

Formaldehyde

甲醛

Lead

铅

Nickel

镍

Polonium

钋

The dangerous particles in secondhand smoke can linger in the air for hours. Breathing secondhand smoke for a short time can irritate your lungs and reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood. Prolonged or repeated exposure to secondhand smoke is all the more dangerous. And it isn't just the smoke that's a concern. The residue that clings to a smoker's hair and clothing, as well as cushions, carpeting and other goods — sometimes referred to as thirdhand smoke — also can pose risks, especially for children.

二手烟的有毒成分会在空气中漂浮数小时，短时间呼吸二手烟会刺激肺部，减少血液中的氧含量，而长期持续处在充满二手烟的环境，则对身体健康威胁更大。然而需要担心的并不只是显形烟雾，二手烟的残留部分会附着在吸烟者的头发和衣服上，甚至会残留在衬垫、地毯和其他物品上，这称为“三手烟”，其危害同样不可小视，尤其对儿童产生了重大影响。

 

How risky is secondhand smoke?

二手烟的潜在危机

Secondhand smoke causes or contributes to serious health problems, including:

二手烟能引起诸多健康问题，包括：

Lung disease. Asthma, bronchitis and other chronic lung ailments can be triggered or aggravated by exposure to secondhand smoke.

肺病。长期处于充满二手烟的环境，可能引起或恶化气喘、支气管炎和其他慢性肺病。

Heart disease. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart attack and other heart problems. Secondhand smoke also damages blood vessels, interferes with circulation and increases the risk of blood clots.

心脏病。接触二手烟会增加心脏病发作的几率，还可能引发其他相关疾病。二手烟还会对血管造成伤害，影响血流循环，增加血栓患病率。

Cancer. Secondhand smoke is a known risk factor for lung cancer. Some research also suggests a link between secondhand smoke and various other types of cancer.

癌症。众所周知，二手烟是肺癌的致病因素之一，一些研究还表明二手烟与其他癌症也有着千丝万缕的关系。

 

Secondhand smoke poses additional risks for children, who are especially vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke. Problems include:

儿童极易受到二手烟的影响，受到额外的伤害，其中包括：

Low birth weight. Exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight.

出生体重过轻。妇女在怀孕期间接触二手烟，胎儿很可能在出生时体重过轻。

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS — whether exposure occurs during pregnancy or after birth.

婴儿猝死综合症。无论在妇女怀孕时还是在婴儿出生后，都应当避免接触二手烟，否则婴儿猝死的概率将大大增加。

Infections. Children who live with smokers are more likely to develop middle ear infections (otitis media) and lower respiratory tract infections.

感染。儿童长期与吸烟人群居住，很可能患有中耳炎和下呼吸道感染。

Secondhand smoke also causes chronic coughing, phlegm and wheezing, as well as eye and nose irritation.

二手烟还会导致伴有浓痰和气喘的慢性咳嗽，造成眼睛和鼻子的过敏反应。

 

How can secondhand smoke be avoided?

远离二手烟

With planning, you can reduce or eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke. Start with these simple steps:

只要经过周密的计划和安排，你就可以减少甚至避免二手烟的危害。下面介绍一些简单的注意事项：

Don't allow smoking in your home. If family members or guests want to smoke, ask them to step outside. Don't rely on an air conditioner, ventilation system or an open window to clear the air.

禁止在家中吸烟。不要指望通过开空调、使用通风系统或是开窗换气就能消除危害，如果家庭成员或者访客想要吸烟，你应该要求他们到室外吸烟。

Don't allow smoking in your vehicle. If a passenger must smoke on the road, stop at a rest stop for a smoke break outside the car.

禁止在车内吸烟。如果在路途中，车上乘客想要吸烟，你应该在休息站停留片刻，让乘客到车外吸烟。

Insist that smoking restrictions be enforced in your workplace. Even powerful ventilation fans don't effectively remove secondhand smoke from the air.

在工作场所坚持执行禁烟令。即使工作地点有威力强大的排风扇，你也不能忽视这一点，因为排风扇无法有效地清除空气中的二手烟。

Choose smoke-free care facilities. If you take your children to a child care provider, choose one with a no-smoking policy. The same goes for aging loved ones. If they live in a long term care facility, make sure it's smoke-free.

选择禁烟的保健场所。如果你带着孩子去儿童保健场所，请选择实行禁烟政策的相关场所。同样的道理，如果需要将老人送至保健机构长期居住，请确保该机构完全禁烟。

Patronize businesses with no-smoking policies. Many restaurants and other establishments are entirely smoke-free. Reinforce these no-smoking policies by telling the management that you appreciate the healthy air.

协助商业机构实行戒烟政策。许多旅馆和其他商业机构都实行彻底的禁烟政策，请告诉机构内部的管理人员：我很希望拥有健康的空气环境。通过这一途径，你可以加强禁烟政策的实行。

Keep your distance from smokers. If you must share space with people who are smoking, sit as far away from them as possible.

远离吸烟人群。如果你必须与烟民共处一室，请尽可能地与他们保持距离。

If you have a partner or other loved one who smokes, offer support and encouragement to stop smoking. The entire family will reap the benefits.

如果你的爱人或者其他所爱之人有吸烟的习惯，请为他们提供支持和鼓励，以帮助他们戒烟，这将对整个家庭带来好处。