@Mitch it says this: Evidence shows that inhaled sidestream smoke, the main component of secondhand smoke, is about four times more toxic than mainstream smoke.
@mitch More toxic, but probably less concentrated. So net, no doubt less dangerous, although some think, underestimated.
Interesting that “no doubt” really means “it seems that.”
@Xanne I keep remembering the textbook of health education in middle school says that secondhand smoke is more harmful than firsthand smoke. Therefore I always try my best to avoid secondhand smoke, but secondhand smoke seems to be everywhere outdoors, so it's difficult to completely keep free from it unless I always stay indoors. But when you go to a house whose host is a smoker, that indoor space is also not free from secondhand smoke.
does social interaction in close distance with a smoker cause harm because a smoker's breath and clothes are full of smoking smell even when they are not smoking?
@CaptainBohemian I don t think the odor from clothing is a dangerous problem. . I would think outdoors would be okay—many places around here don’t permit smoking near buildings, so outdoor smoke from cigarettes is not noticeable.
When we last updated you to clarify concerns and answer questions about our transition to version 4.0 of the CC BY-SA license we committed to posting updates to the UI and addressing unanswered questions. I am happy to announce that we have met these goals. As of now, UI and Data changes are live...
@Xanne Yes, all the wording seems very misleading. There's no doubt at all that second hand smoke, whether exhaled or sidestream, is not good (increases risk of cancer later in life), but matching apples to apples (inhalation of similar volumes) it seems unimaginable that second-hand could be anywhere near the same risk as first-hand.
@CaptainBohemian The toxic substances are not maintained in breath or clothes. If you smell things but you don't see smoke, then you're OK. If you see someone smoking nearby when outside, then just stay six feet away. Also, being around them every so often, isn't bad. It's only a problem if you're inside with them repeatedly in their cloud of smoke day in and day out.