Many people who smoke in public areas are very inconsiderate of this. Being in an enclosed space like a car or house can make this even worse on that person. For example, my 15 year old sister has had symptoms of asthma ever since elementary school. Having distent family members who smoke can make it very hard for her to breathe, especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas time when all the family gets together. Even though she is still young, younger children have even more dangers from inhaling smoke. Secondhand smoke harms children with asthma even more than adults. When a child is exposed to tobacco smoke, their lungs become irritated and produce more mucus than normal. Since children 's airways are smaller, the side effects of secondhand smoke affect them faster and can also affect lung function in later life (WebMD). Children who are exposed to secondhand smoking tend to get more ear infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
Many people have not heard of third hand smoke but it is similar to secondhand smoke. It is whenever tobacco smoke is left behind in a home, car, clothes, dust, hair, etc. Although third hand smoke is a newer concept and researchers have not found all the dangers of it, it still affects infants, children, and adults. A person can not get rid of third hand smoke by simply airing out the house or hard core cleaning, …show more content…
Throughout the United States the average pack of cigarettes by state varies. North Carolina is one of the cheapest states out of the country being at an average of $5.45 per pack. Where Minnesota is $8.10, New Jersey is $8.20, Washington is $9.30, Connecticut is $9.52, Illinois is $11.50, and New York is $12.85, this is more than ours doubled (Prices of Cigarettes by State). Also keep in mind these prices are the average of the state, not even the most expensive pack a person can buy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that smokers cost the United States $96 billion a year in direct healthcare costs and an additional $97 billion a year in lost productivity (Bjornlund