Just because you've worked out that smelling like an ashtray isn't sexy and have decided not to take up cigs, it doesn't mean you're immune to the risks of smoking.

A study in the British Medical Journal has shown that more than 11,000 people in the UK die as a result of passive smoking. Inhaling second-hand smoke has a weaker effect on the lungs than actual smoking but over a long period of time can be fatal.

The effects

The short-term effects of passive smoking are:

• irritated eyes;
• headache;
• dizziness;
• nausea;
• lung function is decreased in asthma sufferers;
• blood flow through the heart is reduced.

The long-term effects of passive smoking are:

• increased risk of heart disease;
• middle-ear disease;
• lung cancer;
• asthmatic attacks and reduced lung function in children;
• behavioural problems in children;
• premature birth and miscarriage.

How many people die?

Second hand smoke is one of the main sources of indoor pollution. Exposure to second-hand smoke at home causes the deaths of 2,700 20 to 64 year-olds in the UK every year. This equates to a total of 30 people dying from passive smoking each day. Two of the 30 are victims in the workplace; this figure is twice the number of deaths caused by workplace accidents.

Updated: 16/10/2008