Passive Smoking: Silent Threat to the Female Population of Karach

INTRODUCTION: Passive smoking is defined as inhalation of smoke also known as second hand smoke (SHS) or environmental tobacco smoke (ETC) by persons other than the intended active smoker. Smoking can lead to number of respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate awareness regarding passive smoking, exposure of cigarette smoke faced by passive smokers, symptoms experienced by them and measures that are taken by passive smokers to avoid the smoke. METHODOLOGY: It is a crosssectional survey based study comprising of N= 350 individuals (Females only) of age group 16-35 years who had never smoked but had been exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. The answers were recorded as open ended. RESULT: Our resulted showed that 59% females were aware about the term passive smoking. 82% were passive smokers. 48% females were exposed to more than 5 cigarettes smoke/day. 35% females felt nausea as most common symptom whereas 29% had headache due to exposure. 84% females went in fresh air to relieve the symptoms whereas 11% had to take medicines for it. CONCLUSION: From our study we came to conclude that female population is getting affected due to smokers in the family. Proper measures need to be taken to prevent risk to passive smokers who don’t smoke but get affected due to smokers in family and environment.