Passive smoking

Passive smoking means breathing in other people’s tobacco smoke. The smoke drifting from a lit cigarette plus the smoke breathed out by a smoker is called second-hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke.

Second-hand smoke is a serious health risk for both those who smoke and those who do not. Children are particularly at risk of serious health effects from second-hand smoke.

Tobacco laws in Victoria

In Victoria, it is illegal to smoke tobacco, including shisha tobacco, and to use vaping products (electronic cigarettes):

• in most indoor workplaces
• within the grounds of, and at and within 4 metres of an entrance to, all Victorian childcare centres, kindergartens (or preschools) and primary and secondary schools
• at and within 4 metres of an entrance to children’s indoor play centres and Victorian public premises (all public hospitals and registered community health centres, and certain Victorian Government buildings)
• in cars carrying people who are under 18 years of age
• at all of Victoria's patrolled beaches within 50 metres of a red and yellow flag
• within 10 metres of outdoor children's playground equipment
• within 10 metres of outdoor skate parks
• within the outdoor areas of all public swimming pool complexes
• within 10 metres of outdoor sporting venues during under 18s events and training sessions
• on public transport
• in all areas of train stations, covered bus shelters, raised platform tram stops and all tram stop shelters
• on the grounds of prisons
• at underage music or dance events
• in all outdoor dining areas where food (other than pre-packaged food or uncut fruit) is provided on a commercial basis
• at certain food fairs and organised events
• in outdoor areas that local councils have made smoke-free.

For more information on tobacco laws in Victoria, visit the Victorian Government’s Department of Health page on tobacco reforms.

Toxic effects of passive smoking

Tobacco smoke inside a room tends to hang in mid-air rather than disperse. Hot smoke rises, but tobacco smoke cools rapidly, which stops its upward climb. Since the smoke is heavier than the air, the smoke starts to descend.

A person who smokes heavily indoors creates a low-lying smoke cloud that other householders have no choice but to breathe.

Tobacco smoke contains around 7,000 chemicals, made up of particles and gases, over 70 of which are known to cause cancer. Second-hand smoke has been confirmed as a cause of lung cancer by several leading health authorities.

Chemicals in second-hand smoke such as ammonia, sulphur and formaldehyde damage the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. These compounds are especially harmful to people with lung conditions such as bronchitis or asthma. Exposure to second-hand smoke can trigger or worsen symptoms.

Health risks of passive smoking – pregnant women and unborn babies

When a pregnant woman breathes in any tobacco smoke, her unborn baby is exposed to the chemicals in the smoke too. About 10% of Australian women smoke during pregnancy. Both smoking and passive smoking can seriously affect the developing baby.

Women who smoke are at greater risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Health risks for mothers who smoke during pregnancy include increased risk of:

• miscarriage and stillbirth
• premature birth and low birth weight
• sudden unexpected death in infants (SUDI), which includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleep accidents
• complications during birth.

When a non-smoking pregnant woman is exposed to second-hand smoke in the home – for example, if her partner smokes – it increases the risk for:

• early birth
• still birth
• low birth weight.

Active smoking by men can damage their sperm. Some health problems may be due to a non-smoking mother breathing in second-hand smoke, or sperm damage from the father’s tobacco use, or both. These include:

• lower fertility
• birth defects including cleft lip or palate
• childhood cancer including liver cancer.

Health risks of passive smoking – children

Children are especially vulnerable to the damaging effects of second-hand smoke. Some of the many health risks include:

• Passive smoking is a cause of sudden unexpected death in infants (SUDI), which includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and fatal sleep accidents.
• A child who lives in a smoking household for the first 18 months of their life has an increased risk of developing a range of illnesses of the lung, including bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia. They are also more prone to coughs, wheezing and glue ear (middle ear infections). Their lungs are weaker and do not grow to their full potential.
• A child exposed to second-hand smoke in the home is more likely to develop asthma symptoms, have more asthma attacks and use asthma medications more often and for a longer period.
• School-aged children of people who smoke are more likely to have symptoms such as cough, phlegm, wheeze and breathlessness.
• Children of people who smoke have an increased risk of meningococcal disease, which can sometimes cause disability or death.

Health risks of passive smoking – partners who have never smoked

People who have never smoked who live with people who do smoke are at increased risk of a range of tobacco-related diseases and other health risks, including:

• Heart disease and stroke – second-hand smoke affects your blood vessels in several ways:
  • It makes the blood more ‘sticky’ and likely to clot.
  • Passive smoking is associated with lower levels of antioxidant vitamins in the blood.
  • Just 30 minutes of passive smoking can affect how your blood vessels regulate blood flow, to a similar degree to that seen in people who smoke.
  • Passive smoking over a long time may lead to the development of atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries by fatty streaks).
• Lung cancer – people who are exposed to second-hand smoke over a long time have a 20 to 30% higher risk of developing lung cancer.
• There is increasing evidence that passive smoking may increase the risk of nasal sinus cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, larynx cancer, long and short-term respiratory symptoms, loss of lung function, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among people who do not smoke.

Your family and friends – a good reason to stop smoking

When you stop smoking, you are not only doing great things for your own health, but for your loved ones.

• You will protect your partner, children or other household members from becoming ill from second-hand smoke.
• You will have more energy and time to spend with your kids.
• You will save a lot of money for you and your family.
• You are your child’s first role model – parents who stop smoking reduce the likelihood that their children will take up smoking later in life.

What are your reasons to have a go at quitting?

Help is available if you want to stop smoking. To find out all your options, call Quitline Tel. 13 78 48 for advice and support, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how they can help you quit.

Protecting others from second-hand smoke

If you smoke but you are unwilling or unable to stop immediately, there are various ways to help protect the health of the people you live with. Suggestions include:

• Make your home totally smoke-free. Always smoke outdoors and shut windows and doors so smoke doesn’t drift inside. Limiting your smoking to one or 2 rooms will not protect your family – tobacco smoke can easily drift through the rest of the house.
• Make sure that visitors to your house smoke outdoors – that includes shisha as well as cigarettes.
• Make your car totally smoke-free. The other occupants will still be exposed to tobacco smoke even if the windows are open. In Victoria, it is illegal to smoke in cars carrying people who are under 18 years of age.
• Don’t allow smoking in any enclosed space where people who do not smoke spend time – for example, in the garage, shed, cubby house, boat or caravan.
• Try to avoid taking children to outdoor areas where people are smoking and you can’t easily move away.
• Make sure that all people who look after your children provide a smoke-free environment.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Pharmacist
• Quitline Tel. 13 78 48