CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study
Secondhand smoke is the toxic waste of tobacco combustion emitted from the combination of tobacco smoke from the burning ends of cigarettes, pipes and cigars and exhaled smoke from smokers. The widespread practice of smoking in buildings exposes nonsmoking occupants to combustion by-products under conditions where airborne contaminant removal is slow and uncertain. Over the past two decades, medical science has shown that nonsmokers suffer many of the diseases of active smoking when they breathe secondhand smoke.

Several negative health effects have been associated with smoking; however these effects are not restricted to smokers only.
Secondhand smoking increases the risk of death in both adults and children.
Secondhand smoking has also been associated with increased morbidity in adults and children. The risk of lung cancer in nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoking is increased by between 20% and 30% and the risk of heart disease by 30%. Even children exposed to secondhand smoking are at particular risk of developing more respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing, worsening of asthma, middle ear disease, neurobehavioral impairment and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
Several studies have been conducted both on the burden of tobacco use and associated risk factors.
Prevalence, pattern, determinants and implications of secondhand smoking in a given population are correlated with prevalence and pattern of tobacco use and the robustness of tobacco control measures in place. Therefore understanding of prevalence, pattern, and risk factors of secondhand smoking is important in developing appropriate, integrated and comprehensive interventions for reduction of the burden of secondhand smoking. Most times higher prevalence of secondhand smoking exposure in public places than home reflects weakness or absence of smoking restrictions. In countries where smoking regulation (especially in public places) is in force, a negative correlation has been observed between tobacco restriction and prevalence of exposure to tobacco smoke at home.
High exposure of males than females is probably because most smokers in Nigeria are young, unmarried males who often smoke among their peers. Females are more conservative in the use of tobacco in Nigeria, hence are less often associated with smoking and are less likely to expose fellow females to tobacco smoke. The risk of exposure among females, especially at home is increased where a close family member or spouse is a smoker. However the trend of smoking among females in the country is on the increase and it is feared that the development may in the long run lead to increased exposure of females to cigarette smoke if adequate control measures are not put in place.

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