[Passive smoking--active killer]

Although still not perceived in this way, passive smoking is a public health issue of great importance. World Health Organization estimates that as a result of passive exposure to tobacco smoke each year 600,000 people die, of which 165,000 children. There are 33% of men, 35% of women and 40% of children who do not smoke, but are exposed to second hand smoke, and still only 11% of the world population is protected by adequate smoke-free legislation. Scientific literature provides evidence that passive exposure to tobacco smoke can result in numerous adverse health effects: asthma and allergies, respiratory infections and (middle) ear infections, cancers of various localization, accelerated atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, retardation of growth and development in children, and in pregnancy it can lead to congenital anomalies and premature birth as well as lower body weight and length of the child. Certainly, the scariest consequence of all is sudden infant death syndrome, also called "death in the crib". Smoke-free policies have proven their effectiveness, but while implementing the laws, it is necessary to raise public awareness of the hazards of, both active and passive, exposure to tobacco smoke.